
MAY 

BALDWIN 







GopghtN? 

COPVRIGIIT DEPOSIT. 
























































Tof? DiD you Ttif^oW BOcK I 

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That Little Limb 

By 

MAY BALDWIN 

Author of “That Awful Little Brother,” etc. 


WITH FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS 
by 

Miss Attwell 



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} i 3 


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PHILADELPHIA 

GEORGE W. JACOBS & CO. 

PUBLISHERS 



UBRARYor CONGRESS 
Two Copies Received 


OC.1 1 6 1906. 




Copyright, 1906, 

By George W. Jacobs & Company 
Published September, jgo6 


To the Memory 
of a Little Limb who 
always meant to do right 
hut somehow managed to do wrong 


< 


CONTENTS 


I. Dishonest Little Laboeees 9 

II. A Deed op Daeing 27 

III. “ That Limb Next Dooe ” 39 

IV. An Angelic Muedeeee . 53 

V. The Peincess Peoposes 67 

VI. “ SWEAE NOT A TALL ONE ” 79 

VII. A Voyage of Discoveey 93 

VIII. Resdeeection— the Dean has a Feight . . 109 

IX. A Disasteous Tea-Paety 121 

X. The Wings of a Dove 137 

XI. The Last Steaw 153 

XII. The Banishment op the Peincess 167 

XIII. Faeewell 181 

XIV. The Towees 191 

XV. The Peincess's Coeeespondence 203 

XVI. A Midnight Oegy 215 

XVII. The Peincess’s Renunciation 229 

XVIII. An Angel at Last 241 
















LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

What for did you throw back our uasty snails ? ” 

Frontispiece 

“ It was so beautiful to have every one love me, and have 

mother kiss me and hug me like she does 'Gelio Being ” 117 ^ 

“ ’Gelic Being can’t fly ” 144-' 

“ What for did you forsake your prince ? ” 238 y 










CHAPTER I 


DISHONEST LITTLE LABOEEES 



CHAPTER I 


DISHONEST LITTLE LABORERS 

S IDE by side in the old Cathedral Close 
stood two houses — partly attached, as 
a matter of fact. Not that any one 
would ever think of describing them as 
such, for one was a picturesque, rambling 
old place, unpretentious in appearance, and 
giving no indication from its front view of 
its size and real commodiousness ; and the 
other was a brand-new, red-brick mansion, 
towering two stories above its “ other half ’’ 
— if not its better half. 

Side by side at the back of these ill- 
assorted neighbors ran their two large 
gardens, divided from each other by a high 
brick wall, and differing from each other 
in appearance as much as the houses them- 
selves : the old house having an old- 


12 


That Little Limb 


fashioned garden, with old fruit-trees, box- 
edged borders full of sweet-smelling peren- 
nials, bushy rose-trees, and shrubs ; the 
other, as new as the red-brick mansion it- 
self, with staring, fresh-looking gravel- 
paths, and bright tile-edged beds in which 
all the newest and costliest varieties of the 
most fashionable plants grew as if by rule. 

They did not look at all congenial neigh- 
bors, and they were not. The Old Deanery 
— for so the old house was called — had stood 
for more than a century, abutting on a 
house of its own ilk, albeit rather dilapi- 
dated, which was occupied by one of the 
Cathedral Chapter. Some years ago it had 
practically fallen to pieces, when, on the 
death of the last occupant, a thrifty ecclesi- 
astical lawyer had sold the property to a 
townsman of the name of Evans, to the 
wrath of the Canon who inhabited the ad- 
jacent house, and indeed of the whole 
Chapter, not to mention the “ Close set.’^ 


Dishonest Little Laborers 13 

The aforesaid townsman forthwith pulled 
down the ramshackle building and erected 
the red-brick atrocity of which mention 
has been made, and called it “ Acacia 
House.’^ 

“ And there is not an acacia in the whole 
Close ! exclaimed the Canon in injured 
tones, as if that aggravated the offense. 

A moody young man was walking in 
the well-kept back-garden of the aggressive 
new house which, like its owner, though in 
the Close, was not of the Close. 

As he sauntered along, sunk in thoughts 
apparently not the most cheerful, to judge 
from the heavy frown on the otherwise 
pleasant face, he heard childish voices in 
the next garden, of which he took little 
heed until he turned into the path nearest 
his neighbor Canon Sinclair's wall, when he 
was roused from his abstraction by hearing 
some hard substance like tiny pebbles fall- 
ing at intervals ahead and then hitting him 


H 


That Little Limb 


literally in the eye. He looked up sharply 
and saw some small objects flying over the 
wall, evidently thrown by the owners of the 
little voices. 

‘^That must be some mischief of those 
two little children who have come to live 
with Canon Sinclair,^’ the young man solil- 
oquized. “ What on earth can they be 
doing?” 

He was not long left in doubt. 

“ Eighty-nine ” (pause), ninety. Oh, 
here are three great, huge ones ! Ninety- 
one, ninety-two, ninety-three.” 

Ninety- three,” which was described as 
a great, huge one,” alighted on the tip of 
the young man’s nose, and turned out on 
inspection to be a snail. 

One moment he paused in mute astonish- 
ment, and in that moment a shriller, 
more babyish voice was heard lisping, 
'' Ninety-sitz, ninety-’leven,” and two more 
snails arrived, this time only just clearing 


Dishonest Little Laborers 15 

the wall and falling on the strawberry-bed 
which ran all down that side of the garden. 

The young man's eyes followed the flight 
of another snail which had just arrived, 
and there at his feet on the ground, all 
around him, lay snails I Great snails, small 
snails, black snails, brown snails, snails 
with crushed shells, and snails whose shells 
had survived their rapid mode of transit ! 

Now, this garden was his mother's hobby, 
and the strawberry-bed, a choice variety, 
her special pride, and her son felt his ire ris- 
ing as he saw this invasion of the gardener's 
pest. Quick as thought he picked up the 
offending slugs, and throwing them back to 
their rightful abode, called out as he picked 
each one up, ** Ninety-seven, ninety-eight, 
ninety-nine, one hundred." 

He paused for a moment to see the effect 
of his action. There was a corresponding 
pause over the wall ; evidently the enemy 
were taken aback by this flank movement. 


i6 


That Little Limb 


Then the silence was broken by a child^s 
voice, full of anguish and disappointment, 
which cried out, Ow, there’s a horwid 
man next door throwing back all our hor- 
wid snails ! ” 

The young man immediately felt a mon- 
ster. True, he was in the right, and the 
other side the aggressors, but the childish 
voice sounded full of tears. He waited for 
further developments. He had not long to 
wait. There was a whispered consultation ; 
then little pattering feet and a sound of 
scrambling upon insecure stones ; then the 
quaintest possible head of a little girl ap- 
peared over the next-door wall. 

Such a tiny face, with black eyes and a 
tangle of black locks, and the pale, delicate 
complexion of an Anglo-Indian child ! 
She turned to help up her companion, 
whose head next appeared over the wall. 

The young man almost gasped. If, as 
he afterward remarked, he had believed in 


Dishonest Little Laborers 17 

the visitation of angels in broad daylight, 
he should have taken this smaller child to 
be such a visitant, for the little boy gazing 
at him with big blue eyes looked like one — 
or, rather, what he should imagine one to 
be. His hair stood out round his head like 
a halo ; his mouth was shaped like a cupid’s 
bow, with lips just parted to show dazzling 
white teeth. He, too, was pale ; but 
whereas his sister was sallow, his skin was 
fair as alabaster. But it was not these de- 
tails which struck the young man ; it was the 
expression which kept him gazing silently. 

The little girl was the first to open the 
conversation. 

‘^What for did you throw back our 
nasty snails?” she asked in an imperious 
tone. 

The young man reluctantly turned his 
eyes from the younger child and replied 
naturally enough, “ What did you throw 
your nasty snails into our garden for? ” 


i8 


That Little Limb 


“ Because mother told us to, so ^at we 
could earn money, the little girl replied. 

Your mother told you to throw snails 
into our garden to earn money ? exclaimed 
the young man in astonishment. He had 
seen Mrs. Sinclair, the old Canon's niece 
and the mother of these children, and had 
been struck, as were most people, by her 
sweet face ; he judged her to be the last per- 
son to wish to annoy her neighbors, least of 
all in such an offensive manner as this. 
Still, the little girl spoke with conviction 
and an air of truth, and he thought he 
should like to fathom the mystery, if only 
to put an end to such practices in the future ; 
so he continued, And, pray, what have we 
done to bring the plagues of Egypt upon 
us?" 

Oh, well, mother didn't ezackly say we 
was to throw our snails over next door," 
admitted the little girl ; in fax," she added 
truthfully, “ she said we was to put them in 


Dishonest Little Laborers 19 

our little barrow and give them to Joe 
(Joe was the gardener), ‘‘ but this was much 
quicker/^ 

Yeth, thith wath much twicker,” lisped 
the vision, beaming at the young man. 

The latter wanted badly to laugh, but 
thought of his mother’s pineapple ” straw- 
berry-bed, and hardening his heart against 
the little sinners, said, “ Yes ; but look 
here, what about our strawberries? The 
beastly things ” — he looked with disgust at 
the snails at his feet — will eat them all up.” 

“ Oh, we didn’t think of that at all,” said 
the little girl ; “we wanted to earn the 
money wery quickly, you see.” 

“ A common failing that,” remarked the 
young man dryly. “ You are not the only 
persons in too great a hurry to get rich. 
But why did you want the money 
quickly ? ” 

“ ’Cause it’s mother’s birthday to-morrow, 
and we want to buy her a red geranimum, 


20 


That Little Limb 


and weVe only got tuppence-ha^penny 
now, 'cause Uncle John has gone and taken 
our money to pay for a little bit of glass we 
broke, and nurse says it won't buy any 
geranimum worth looking at ; and so we 
was getting the snails off Uncle John's cur- 
rant-trees, and mother gives us a penny a 
hundred, an' we'd nearly gotted a hun- 
dred." 

The young man's face cleared as a thought 
struck him. Look here," he said, if 
you'll come over and pick up all these — er — 
snails. I'll give you a lovely red geranium 
out of my mother's conservatory. You 
shall choose it yourselves." 

Oh, thank you ! " cried the little girl. 
“ We'll come, won't we, 'Gelic Being? " 
Yeth," agreed the echo, we'll turn." 
What's your name, youngster?" in- 
quired the youth of the little boy, as he 
approached the wall to lift his small 
visitors over. 


Dishonest Little Laborers 21 

^Gelic Being/’ said the little one, with a 
seraphic smile. 

By Jove ! they’ve got a name to fit the 
subject this time,” said the young man, as 
he lifted the little fellow down into his 
garden, and then held out his arms to the 
little girl. 

No, thank you,” she said very politely 
but firmly ; I will just step down.” 

‘‘You can’t step down eight feet, little 
one,” he protested. 

“ Well, put out your hand — so, please ; ” 
and in a moment she had stepped on 
to it and then jumped down into the 
garden. 

The young man took his seat on the 
handle of the wheelbarrow, and observing, 
“Now to business,” watched the small pair 
at their work. 

“ How many did you throw over ? ” he 
inquired. 

“ Only ninety-six,” she replied ; “ and so 


22 


That Little Limb 


there’s only ninety-two to pick up, ’Gelic 
Being, ’cause he threw back four.” 

Only ninety-two ! ” murmured the young 
man. 

What’s ninety-two between us two ? ” 

Forty-six,” he replied. 

Well, that won’t take long,” she re- 
marked, ‘^specially if you catch them in 
your lap for us.” 

I’d rather not,” he observed. Suppose 
you make a big heap on the path, and I’ll 
cart it away afterward ? ” 

The work went on merrily until about 
sixty were counted into a heap, after which 
much searching, in which the young man 
assisted, was necessary. At length ninety 
were gathered together, whether all visitors 
or not the young man could not say. 

Come, that’s capital ! ” he said. Let’s go 
and choose your geranium.” 

Suddenly the little girl drew back. 
Stop, please ; w^hat’s your name ? ” she 


Dishonest Little Laborers 23 

asked. ‘‘ One has to be peculiar nowa- 
days.’^ 

My name’s George Evans, M.R.C.S., at 
your service,” he replied solemnly, taking 
off his hat and bowing. 

The little girl bowed her head in return, 
and replied, I am pleased to know you, 
Mr. George Evans Marcy.” The child’s 
language was composed chiefly of long 
words, with occasional lapses into childish 
expressions and errors. 

“ Etiquette being satisfled, let us proceed,” 
remarked Mr. George Evans ; and he led the 
way into his mother’s largest conservatory. 
It is possible, had he known what the result 
would be, that he would not have made his 
open-handed offer ; but he did not know. 

The children, clinging confidingly to his 
hands, exclaimed at the beautiful flowers ; 
and then the little girl’s eye fell upon a 
splendid scarlet geranium in a large pot 
which stood on a shelf facing the door. 


24 


That Little Limb 


Oh, that's the very kind I want ! she 
cried. “ That^s just what our mother would 
love.” 

Young Mr. Evanses gaze followed the little 
girl’s finger, and his face fell. He had not 
seen the plant before, so that it was clearly 
a new importation. Moreover, it was in a 
place of honor, and he concluded that it was 
of some value. But George was a man of 
his word, and, moreover, for the life of him 
he could not check the little one’s delight ; 
so he only said, All right, you shall have 
it. You don’t want it to-night, do you? 
No? That’s right, then; I’ll drop it over 
the wall, and you can give it to your mother 
first thing to-morrow morning.” 

''Yes, and s’prise her,” remarked the 
little girl. 

" Exactly,” replied young Mr. Evans, 
who saw by this arrangement a way out of 
the difficulty. It would not be missed till 
midday, by which time he would have sent 


Dishonest Little Laborers 25 

in another geranium as good, or better, 
with a note of explanation to his mother. 
But man proposes and God disposes. 










CHAPTER II 


A DEED OP DAEIITG 












CHAPTER II 


A DEED OF DARING 

T he Canon^s house, as has been 
said, was considerably larger than 
it looked from the front, having 
been added to at various times ; and part of 
the dividing wall over which the two chil- 
dren had climbed that afternoon had been 
raised to form the lower wall of the new 
kitchen and scullery, the tall chimney at the 
end of the sloping roof of which was a never- 
ending source of irritation to old Mr. Evans, 
who had already had passages at arms with 
the Canon, which had ended in the latter 
referring him to a lawyer. 

That evening, as the “ Parvenu^s ” son was 
smoking his after-dinner cigar and pac- 
ing the path he had sauntered along in 


30 That Little Limb 

the morning, a snail crunched under his 
foot. 

The remembrance of his two little visitors 
came across him, and he smiled, then 
started, for a crash sounded on the adjacent 
roof of the aforesaid kitchen as something 
white flashed through the air and dashed 
with force upon a tile, which it broke. 

Now,’’ cried a little voice from above 
his head somewhere, I dare me to go ’long 
this roof as far as the tower chimley.” 

Young Mr. Evans looked up, and there 
at an open window, about three feet above 
the roof, stood a white-clad little form, with 
black eyes and hair showing clear in the 
twilight against the white window-curtain 
behind. One, two, three,” it continued, 
and ” 

'' Hello ! ” said George, loud enough to be 
heard by the little girl, for it was she. 

Oh, it’s the snail man ! ” cried a small, 
startled voice. What are you doing here ? ” 


A Deed of Daring 31 

“ Yes,” he agreed, it is the snail man ; 
and as to what I am doing here, I was 
walking quietly along the path, but at 
present I am keeping an eye upon you. 
May I inquire whether you are shying 
hair-brushes out of the window by your 
mother ^s orders ? ” 

“ Well, not ezackly ; but please go away, 
because you just frightened me wery much, 
and I don^t want to be frightened, because 
IVe got a wery dangerous voyage before 
me.” 

It strikes me you are going to prove a 
pretty lively neighbor. This morning it 
was a plague of snails ; this evening it 
rains hair-brushes,”' remarked the young 
man dryly. “ And as for voyages, the only 
voyage you are going to take is into your 
little bed, where you ought to be now.” 

“ Ah ! but I’ve just dared myself to go 
and fetch my brush, ’cause it’s not my 
brush at all, but mother’s ivory brush, with 


That Little Limb 


32 

silver on the back ; so, you see, you mustn^t 
interfere when duty calls/^ 

But, uninfluenced by the little girFs 
plausible reasoning, the young man re- 
mained Arm in forbidding the exploit. 

Oh ! but theyfll be so angry when they 
find mother’s brush lost, and I’m so tired 
of being punished when I only meant to do 
right.” 

Come, now, you couldn’t have thought 
it was right to throw your mother’s nice 
brush out of the window ? ” he expostu- 
lated. 

Yes, I did. I do so want to get brave 
like mother told me to, and I felt so wery 
good when I came to bed this evening, and 
I couldn’t think of anything what I was 
afraid to do ’cept walk on that slopetty 
roof ; and so I just threw out that brush, 
’cause I knew I should have to get out and 
fetch it. So, please, don’t talk to me, and 

111 go 


33 


A Deed of Daring 

“ Don’t stir from where you are/’ cried 
young Mr. Evans in some excitement ; 

you would slip off and kill yourself. I 
am going to fetch that brush myself ; ” and 
suiting the action to the word, he climbed 
on to a water-butt, swarmed up a pipe, and 
was soon on the slopetty ” roof — so slop- 
ing that it was no easy matter to walk up 
it. However, to his relief, the brush could 
be reached by his lying along the tiles and 
stretching out his hand. Having wriggled 
along until he was close to the house, he 
cautiously mounted to the window. 

Here it is, little one,” he said ; “ and 
don’t you try doing daring deeds any more. 
What would have happened if I had not 
been here, heaven only knows — in fact, I 
think I ought to tell nurse.” 

Oh, thank you so much ! But don’t — 
please don’t tell nursy, dear, kind young 
man ; ” and two soft little arms came round 
his neck, and he felt a warm kiss on his face. 


34 


That Little Limb 


“ Well, then, you must promise never to 
get out of this window/' 

I solemnly promise and vow," said the 
little girl ; “ and I didn't really want to 
get out there. I was dreadfully frightened 
inside all the time. I was pretending to be 
brave because I was a princess, you see." 

“ A princess ? " queried he. 

“ Yes, a stately, beautiful princess of a 
land where nobody scolds anybody else, and 
everybody is quite happy, and when you 
do what's right nobody calls it all wrong. 
But, of course, it's only pretend," she 
wound up, and her voice grew sad. 

Poor little beggar ! " murmured the 
young man under his breath. 

But now I've got a prince what helps 
princesses out of distress — that's you. 
Prince — so, you see, it hasn't turned out 
so wrong after all ; because, of course, a 
princess need not do anything when there's 
a prince to do it for her." 


A Deed of Daring 35 

Meanwhile you’ll be catching your 
death and no pretend,” observed the 
Prince ” prosaically. 

The little “ Princess ” shivered and 
sighed. Well, p’r’aps I’ll go to bed now. 
Don’t forget about that beautiful gerani- 
mum what we’ve earned, will you? Be- 
cause it’s our birthday s’prise to mother, 
and it would have been a most tre’ndous 
disappointment if we hadn’t got anything 
for her ; and we was afraid we shouldn’t 
get enough snails, even by throwing them 
over next door.” 

^^All right. But look here; you must 
not tell any one that I gave you that 
geranium ; that’s a secret.” 

Of course not. If you think I can’t 
keep a secret you are mistaken. Besides, 
you didn’t give it ; don’t you remember we 
earned it by picking up all those horwid 
snails ? And ” — with a sigh — it was hard 
work.” 


That Little Limb 


Ah ! to be sure. Well, that^s all right ; 
and while we’re on the subject, you promise 
not to throw any more creatures over, be- 
cause I can’t say what might not happen if 
my father were to hear of it ; he’d prosecute 
you, very likely.” 

“ I shouldn’t like to be persecuted by 
your father. But I shan’t throw any more 
snails over, because I’m not in a hurry for 
any more money now ; and besides, I know 
it’s wrong. It’s quite easy not to do a 
thing when you know it’s wrong. But, 
somehow ” — with a deep sigh — I never 
know that anything’s wrong until after 
I’ve done it.” Here a thought with regard 
to her latest escapade struck her, and she 
began to feel the brush which she had put 
to such an unsuitable use. I wonder if 
mother’s brush is much spoiled? I hope 
not, because she’s rather fond of it. But I 
shouldn’t be s’prised if it was ; things is so 
unfortunate with me. Yes ! it feels quite 


A Deed of Daring 37 

scratchy. Oh, dear! Good-night, Prince, 
dear. I shall look out for you to-morrow 
evening, when my royalty begins. I’m 
only an ugly little girl in the day, and ’cept 
to you ; and you’re only a man, ’cept to 
me.” 

The young man laughed as he crawled 
along the roof and down the way he had 
mounted. Poor little beggar!” he re- 
peated. “ What a queer little mortal she 
is ! Where do children get such odd ideas 
from ? Meanwhile, as a set-off against my 
accession to a title, I have ruined my 
clothes” (he was in evening-dress), ‘‘and 
my white shirt might have been in use by 
a sweep.” 

Then he remembered that one of his 
princely promises remained unfulfilled, and 
went off to the conservatory to get the large 
geranium for the little Sinclairs’ birthday 
present. Having deposited it over the gar- 
den wall, he went into the house and, to 


That Little Limb 


38 

avoid questions about his dirty and di- 
sheveled condition, to his own smoking- 
room, where he remained for the rest of 
the evening. 


CHAPTER III 

“THAT LIMB NEXT DOOB” 


r 












CHAPTER III 


“that limb next door 

“ r I AHOMAS/’ remarked Mrs. Evans to 
I her husband the next morning, 
after her son had left for the hos- 
pital, at which he had an appointment, 
“what do you think? We’ve had a thief 
in our large conservatory since last night.” 
“ A thief — eh ? How do you know ? ” 

“ Because they’ve taken my prize gera- 
nium — at least, I am sure it would have 
got the prize at the show.” 

“ Are you sure it is not in any of the 
other conservatories ? John or Jimmy may 
have wanted to give it more heat or some- 
thing, and changed its place.” 

“Neither John nor the other gardeners 
know anything about it, for they all have 
been searching for it. John saw it in the 


42 


That Little Limb 


big conservatory when he left last night, 
which he did late, because he was taking 
down some particulars of his entries, and 
he missed it first thing this morning ; and 

— and A pause. 

‘‘ Well?^’ 

We think we know the thief ; in fact, 
I^m afraid there’s no doubt about it.” 

“ Afraid ? Why should you be afraid ? 
I’ll make an example of him, never fear ! 
I suspect he’s the man who has been tram- 
pling down our strawberry-bed ; you never 
saw such a state as it’s in. Who is it — eh ? ” 

It’s not a man ; it’s — it’s — a she.” 

A she ! What on earth do you mean ? 
A woman ? ” 

Not exactly a woman ; it is the Canon’s 
little grand-niece.” 

Canon Sinclair’s niece ? That little 
black-eyed monkey ? Impossible ! Why, 
she couldn’t carry it alone. She must have 
had accomplices.” 


Thai Limb Next Door ' ' 


43 


“ But John says they Ve been on the 
strawberry-bed ; there are the marks of their 
little feet quite plain ; and young Mrs. Sin- 
clair’s nurse told cook that the children had 
given their mother a red geranium as a 
birthday present, and wouldn’t say where 
they had got it except that they had 
earned it, and from the description she’s 
sure it is ours, taken by that little limb 
next door.” 

Good gracious I what a naughty little 
girl I — for of course that little angel of a 
boy had nothing to do with it. Anyway, 
you must send for it back ; children can’t 
be allowed to steal, if they are the grand- 
nieces of canons. I shall write him a 
note ; ” and Mr. Evans sat down to his 
desk with a very red face, and conscious of 
a certain amount of satisfaction in the 
thought that he was going to give that can- 
tankerous old Canon a slap in the face,” as 
he put it. 


44 


That Little Limb 


Mrs. Evans made some mild protests, but 
she too bore the irascible neighbor no very 
good-will. 

And this was the note which Mr. Evans 
wrote, and great was the consternation 
which it caused next door : 

Rev. Sir, — I regret to be obliged to 
trouble you, but my wife misses a handsome 
geranium from her conservatory, and we 
understand that it has been stolen by your 
little niece — [“Oh, don^t say stolen, 
Thomas ! say taken by mistake, pleaded 
his wife. A theft’s a theft, Mary, and no 
mistake about it. I’ve called a spade a 
spade all my life, and I’m not going to call 
it anything else now. And if that don’t 
make Canon Sinclair sit up my name’s not 
Thomas Evans — which it is ; ” and he con- 
tinued to write] — and we shall be obliged 
by its return, as it is entered for exhibition 
at the Horticultural Society’s flower-show. — 
Yours obediently, 

^‘Thomas Evans. 

P. S. — I trust under the circumstances 
you will pardon my addressing you direct, 
instead of through your solicitors.” 


That Limb Next Door " 


45 


Here Mr. Evans smiled grimly as he 
thought of a certain unpleasant correspond- 
ence which he had had with the Canon 
during the building of his house, when 
the former had haughtily refused to have 
any dealings with the townsman, and had 
requested Mr. Evans to address him through 
his solicitors. That's one for him,” he re- 
marked to his wife ; he'll wish he'd been a 
bit more civil now.” 

“ Oh, Thomas ! ” again expostulated his 
wife, “ don't send that letter ; the Canon's 
such a harsh man. Think if it were our 
George.” 

If George had ever done such a thing 
I'd have beaten him well, and that's more 
than Canon Sinclair will do, for all his 
hardness. You just send John around with 
this note, and he can wait to bring back the 
geranium.” 

In ten minutes the geranium was re- 
turned with Mrs. Sinclair's apologies, but 


That Little Limb 


46 

not a word of explanation from the Canon 
or any one else. 

Through the original channel of com- 
munication, Mrs. Evans heard that Mrs. 
Sinclair had been delighted with the plant 
which she imagined that her uncle had 
helped the children to buy ; but finding he 
had nothing to do with it, she was much 
puzzled until the offensive letter was 
shown her by the Canon, who was angrier 
than she had ever seen him before, which is 
saying a good deal. 

That child of yours, Constance,^' he 
said, “ seems to be possessed by a veritable 
demon of mischief and naughtiness ; you 
must send her to bed at once.” 

There must be some explanation,” 
gently suggested poor Mrs. Sinclair, much 
distressed. 

The explanation is very obvious,” re- 
torted Canon Sinclair irascibly. Their 
own money being confiscated — and very 


That Limb Next Door " 


47 


justly so — she deliberately stole a plant (the 
man is perfectly correct in what he says, 
though that does not make the wording less 
offensive) in order that you might have a 
birthday present.’^ 

Mrs. Sinclair felt that there was no more 
to be said until she had seen Gwennie, and 
went to interrogate her. But from Gwennie 
she got no satisfaction ; the child would not 
say where she had bought the geranium, or 
whether it belonged to Mrs. Evans, but to 
all questions replied that me and ^Gelic 
Being earned it all ourselves.^^ 

There was no course open to Mrs. Sinclair 
but to give orders for the immediate return 
of the geranium, which she had no doubt 
belonged to the obnoxious people next door 
— though how it got into her children's 
possession she could not conceive — and to 
obey her uncle by sending poor little 
Gwennie to bed, there to spend the long- 
looked for birthday. 


48 


That Little Limb 


The morning passed gloomily enough in 
the Old Deanery. Mrs. Sinclair had prom- 
ised to take both children to the Botanical 
Gardens to hear the band play, and then to 
have a birthday tea with them in the nurs- 
ery, but this she abandoned ; she had not 
the heart to take the Angelic Being alone. 

At lunch Mrs. Evans, who was very full 
of the affair of the geranium, began to tell 
her son of the strange occurrences of the 
past twenty-four hours. That young man's 
face was a study. 

Good heavens, what have you done ? " 
he exclaimed when he had heard her story ; 
and he threw down his knife, leaving his 
food untasted, and rushed off into the gar- 
den, making straight for the conservatory, in 
which the fateful geranium was reinstated. 
Taking it out of its place, he was just start- 
ing to return it to Mrs. Sinclair, when his 
parents, who had watched his movements 
with astonishment, called to him to stop. 


** That Limb Next Door" 


49 


You leave that plant alone, George, 
shouted his father. Do you hear, sir? 

“ It’s my prize geranium, that I’m going 
to show at the Horticultural Show, George,” 
pleaded his mother. 

“ Can’t help that,” called George over his 
shoulder as he strode off, with an air of de- 
termination which his parents knew meant 
trouble if opposed. Armed with the big 
plant, he walked to Canon Sinclair’s front 
door, and boldly ringing the bell, asked for 
Mrs. Sinclair. 

Not much to his surprise, he was informed 
that she was at lunch and was unable to see 
him. But the thought of little Gwennie in 
punishment when she only meant to do 
right ” made him persist, and Mrs. Sinclair, 
much against her uncle’s wish, consented to 
see the son of that impertinent man from 
next door.” 

A quarter of an hour later the young man 
emerged from the Old Deanery, and al- 


50 


That Little Limb 


though he still had the '' wretched thing,” 
as he called his mother’s cherished plant, 
in his arms, he was satisfied. He had also 
made a friend, and Mrs. Sinclair, though 
she had tears in her eyes, was smiling 
through them as she ran up-stairs to release 
Gwennie from her punishment. 

Please, mother,” asked Gwennie as her 
mother was dressing her, how is it that all 
the right things I do turn out all wrong? ” 

But the question was beyond Mrs. Sin- 
clair’s power of answering, so she evaded it 
by saying, But this has turned out all 
right in the end, because we are going to 
have our treat after all, and we shall enjoy 
it all the more after our sad morning. Be- 
sides, you did not do quite right, because 
you should not take plants from strangers.” 

Neither the Canon nor Mr. Evans was 
quite as happy as the rest of their families, 
though for different reasons. Mr. Evans 
wished he had not indulged his feelings of 


** That Limb Next Door 51 

revenge by writing what he now felt to 
have been an unjustifiable letter ; and the 
Canon, though this was one source of con- 
solation to him, was horrified at Gwennie’s 
lax sense of honor as exemplified by her 
nefarious method of getting rid of her 
snails. However, he made no objection to 
her having her mother’s birthday treat, and 
the day wound up very happily. 

But the young doctor, who had taken to 
Gwennie as a case, could not get her out of 
his mind. When she did not come to the 
window that evening, he felt quite disap- 
pointed ; and when she next appeared, and 
greeted him with Good-evening, Prince,” 
he replied, with a smile, ^^Good-evening, 
little one — oh, I mean Princess — you see I 
have a bad memory. I am sorry I forgot 
to arrange about that plant ; but why did 
you not tell your mother the whole story ? 
It would have saved all the bother.” 

<< Bit — she sometimes said bit ” for 


That Little Limb 


52 

but ” — bit I couldn’t ; it was a secret, 
and I’d promised not to tell.” 

How old are you really, little one? ” he 
asked. 

I’m nearly seven,” she replied, with 
dignity. 

And the young man went away abashed. 


CHAPTER IV 


AN ANGELIC MUEDEBEE 



CHAPTER IV 


AN ANGELIC MURDERER 

“ T DON’T think I can speak to you to- 
I night, Prince,” said a little voice 
from the nursery window a few even- 
ings afterward. 

Mr. George Evans was enjoying his cigar 
walk,” as Gwennie called it, and, truth to 
say, had forgotten the “little limb next 
door,” as his family called the little girl, 
when the words fell upon his ear. He was 
under her window at the moment, and 
looked up smiling; but when he saw the 
little one’s tear-stained face, the young man, 
who was very tender-hearted, grew grave in 
a moment as he said hastily, “ Why, what’s 
the matter now ? In trouble again ? ” 

“ DrefFul trouble,” she said ; and it was 


56 That Little Limb 

wonderful the amount of woe the child’s 
voice was capable of expressing. “ There’s 
been a death in the family.” 

“ Dear, dear I ” he exclaimed, shocked. 

I am very sorry, I’m sure — extremely 
sorry. I did not know.” He wondered 
that he had not heard. 

It’s a murder, really,” she explained. 

Goodness ! ” ejaculated Mr. Evans, thor- 
oughly aroused. You poor little thing ! ” 
He mentally cast his thoughts back to the 
evening papers, having jumped to the con- 
clusion that it must be the children’s 
father, an officer in India, who was then 
engaged in subduing some hill-tribes. 

Who is dead ? ” 

** It’s dear Julius Caesar,” she said ; and 
a sob fell upon his ear. 

('‘Then it’s not her father,” he said to 
himself ; it must be her brother, I suppose. 
But what a name I I should imagine that 
it is a nickname, like the Angelic Being’s ; 


An Angelic Murderer 57 

and prophetic, too ! ) Aloud he said, 
And who is Julius Caesar, dear ? 

“ It’s our dear tortoise,” she replied. 

Tortoise be blowed I ” said George, with 
a warmth due to a revulsion of feeling. 

“ Oh ! ” cried the little girl, in shocked 
accents, as she stopped crying for the mo- 
ment. Oh ! don’t you care ? ” 

“ No, I’m hanged if I do — that’s to say,” 
he added hastily, as she began crying 
again — what I mean is, it’s not so bad as 
it might have been. Suppose it had been 
Angelic Being ? ” 

It’s worse,” she replied in tragic tones. 

Worse ? Why ? ” demanded the young 
man, surprised. 

Because I should see ’Gelic Being again, 
and — and nurse says” — here the sobs be- 
came violent — there’s nothing about tor- 
toises going to heaven in the Bible, and she 
doesn’t think I shall ever see Julius Csesar 
again — never,” she wailed. “ And ’nother 


That Little Limb 


thing, I don’t think I care a bit ’bout 
’Gelic Being just now.” 

Dear, dear ! ” said young Mr. Evans. 
“ Well, don’t cry — for goodness’ sake don’t 
cry — and I’ll get you another tortoise to- 
morrow — a lovely big one ; two if you like, 
and then you can have one each.” 

The sobs ceased. You’re wery kind, 
Prince ; but it wouldn’t be the same tor- 
toise. Still, I’d like to have a tortoise of 
my own ; bit please don’t give ’Gelic 
Being one, ’cause the tortoise was his, and 
he starved it to death, and he only cried 
one minute, and stopped when nurse gave 
him a sweet. And he never cared one bit 
about the poor tortoise getting hungrier and 
hungrier, and being so miserable till it died, 
and ” — with a sob — there’s nothing to 
make up to the tortoise for all its pain if it 
doesn’t go to heaven.” 

Mr. Evans’s views on the future of tor- 
toises not being of a nature to give comfort 


An Angelic Murderer 59 

to the little girl, he cast about for some 
other means. Perhaps he was not starved 
after all,^’ he suggested ; “he may have 
died a natural death. It’s not really neces- 
sary to feed tortoises at all ; they eat all 
sorts of things in the garden by themselves. 
I shouldn’t wonder if it died of old age.” 

“ It wasn’t a bit old ; and it couldn’t eat 
all sorts of things,” she persisted, “ because 
’Gelic Being took it to bed with him and 
put it ill a wooden box beside him, and 
then forgot all about it next morning, and 
put his box of bricks on the top of it, and 
to-day when he took his box of bricks off, 
poor Julius Caesar was quite deaded.” 

“ Well, you can have a grand funeral, 
and bury him, and put up a tombstone to 
him.” 

“ If Julius Caesar isn’t in heaven a grand 
funeral won’t comfort him one bit ; and 
’nother thing, nurse has throwed him 
away.” 


6o 


Thai Little Limb 


Very well, then,^’ said George, in de- 
spair, ‘‘ there^s nothing for it but another 
tortoise. You look in the corner of the 
garden to-morrow and you’ll see a beautiful 
new tortoise. This time I will not forget.” 

That evening George Evans sat at his 
writing-table, elaborately painting in bright 
red letters on a sheet of cardboard, when 
his mother came into his room to keep him 
company, as she often did. Her motherly 
face brightened as she saw the young man 
smiling over his work. His smiles had 
been few and far between lately, and she 
was glad of any distraction which could 
raise the cloud from his brow. 

Dear me, George ! ” she said ; what is 
amusing you in that notice you are writings 
and what is it for ? The hospital ? ” 

“Not quite,” he replied, still smiling. 
“ They would think I was a case for the in- 
sane ward if they saw it. No ; it is for 
that little child next door.” 


An Angelic Murderer 6i 

That little limb ! What a fuss you do 
make of her, to be sure ! And the servants 
say she’s a perfect terror, always in some 
mischief or other, and never things that 
any ordinary child would think of.” 

“ She doesn’t mean to be naughty,” said 
the young man as he took the cigar from 
his mouth and leaned back to survey his 
work. She is very much misunderstood, 
poor little thing ! ” 

Misunderstood, indeed ! ” echoed his 
mother. “ I’ve no patience with such chil- 
dren. You can’t misunderstand a child 
deliberately taking a jug of water and 
throwing it on to the cook’s head as she 
was coming out of the kitchen, which is 
enough to give the poor girl her death of 
cold.” 

Perhaps it was a mistake,” suggested 
her son. 

“Oh, no, it was no mistake. She did it on 
purpose ; she said so.” 


62 


That Little Limb 


“ I wonder why she did it/^ said the 
young man musingly. 

For mischief — regular naughtiness I 
call it ; and then she said she did it to see 
whether the water falling on cook’s head 
would make her discover anything, like the 
apple falling on his head did somebody. 
Such rubbish I ” 

“ Ah ! I see ; she had been learning about 
Sir Isaac Newton and the law of gravita- 
tion, poor little beggar ! She is misunder- 
stood ; ” and he proceeded to put the finish- 
ing touches to the elaborate notice he was 
printing, which was a eulogy on the late 
lamented Julius Csesar, and ran as follows : 

TO THE MEMORY OF 
THE LATE 

JULIUS C^SAE 

In a garden rich and rare. 

Where two children often were, 

Lived a tortoise, 

A dear tortoise. 

Owned by ’Gelic Being fair. 


An Angelic Murderer 63 

But this ’Gelic Being fair 
For his tortoise did not care. 

It was starved, 

Murderously starved, 

By the Angelic Being fair. 

So another tortoise came 
(Though this was not quite the same) 
For his sister, 

For her only ! 
eQelic Being had no claim. 

What do you think of it, mother? he 
asked, holding it, with an amused smile, at 
arm’s-length for her to see. 

His mother read it slowly out, and then 
remarked hesitatingly, “ I don’t see any 
sense in it, George. What are you going to 
do with it ? ” 

I’m going to hang it over the wall for 
the Angelic little fraud to see,” he replied. 

I think it may comfort the little girl to 
have a poem written on her brother’s de- 
funct pet.” 

“ Well, if it pleases you that is a great 


That Little Limb 


64 

thing,” said the fond mother. “ But as for 
poetry — I don’t know much about it, but 
I shouldn’t call that poetry — about a com- 
mon tortoise, too.” 

Her son laughed as he put the despised 
composition aside until next morning, when 
he hung it over the wall just above where 
he had deposited the new tortoise, as he had 
promised he would, and awaited develop- 
ments. 

“ Oh ! ” cried the shrill voice of the 
Angelic Being, ‘‘ look, Dwennie 1 Turn 
twick, look ! Here’s my tortoise turn ’live 
again, bigger than ever ; and there’s a 
beeuful printed book on de wall.” 

Gwennie came running and looked. 
First she took the tortoise out of its box, 
and, kissing it, held it tight in her two 
hands while she read the verses slowly 
aloud, spelling out one or two words. Then 
she gave a sigh of relief. “ It’s a grand 
thing to have a real pome wrote about you 


An Angelic Murderer 65 

when you're dead," she said ; lots of people 
haven't that." 

Yeth," agreed the Angelic Being, not 
comprehending in the least either this re- 
mark or the poem." 

“ But, you see, 'Gelic Being, it's for your 
sister — that's me — ^ for her only ' — not for 
you, 'cause you went and murdered the 
last — and you ^ have no claim.' " 

Didn't murder it," cried 'Gelic Being. 

And nurse says you'se wery wicked to 
say 'at; an' I want 'nother tortis — I do — 
boohoo ! " 

Well, don't cry, 'Gelic Being," said 
Gwennie, putting down the tortoise to 
put her arms round the Angelic Be- 
ing’s neck, and kissing him. “You shall 
call him yours, only you must never touch 
him." 

“ Now, Miss Gwennie," cried nurse as she 
appeared on the scene, “ what are you doing? 
You naughty little girl, making Master 


66 


That Little Limb 


Leslie cry ! And whatever’s all this rub- 
bish written here ? ” 

It isn’t rubbish ; it’s a beautiful pome 
’bout poor Julius Caesar.” 

“ Now, I won’t have no more about that 
wretched tortoise ; let your little brother 
have the new tortoise at once — little angel ! ” 
Gwennie covered the tortoise up in her 
pinafore, set her little mouth, and walked off 
with the new pet, shaking her head and 
saying, He deaded the other, and he shan’t 
touch this — never ! ” 

Little limb ! ” muttered nurse as she 
turned to pet Angelic Being. 

Clearly George Evans was the only person 
who understood little Gwendoline Sinclair. 


CHAPTER V 


THE PRINCESS PROPOSES 





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CHAPTER V 


THE PRINCESS PROPOSES 

OOD-EVENING, Prince/^ said the 
I "¥" little voice over the garden wall. 

Oh, good-evening, Princess,” 
said Mr. George Evans, stopping in his walk 
and raising his hat half-mockingly to the 
little elfish face, which was all he could see 
of his little Princess. 

“ Pve been to church,” she announced, 
with an air of virtue. 

What for ? ” asked the Prince thought- 
lessly. “ It isnT Sunday.” 

To be watered with the spirits,” she 
said in a superior and reproachful tone. 

You ought to go, too.” 

It doesn’t sound inviting,” he retorted 
rather flippantly. How is it managed ? ” 


70 


Thai Little Limb 


She looked at the young man severely. 
“ I think you're not at all good to-day," 
she said. 

“ You’re about right, little one," he said, 
with a laugh. “ I don’t feel at all good." 

“ You’re unhappy," she said, nodding her 
little head at him. 

‘‘ Upon my word. Princess ! you’re posi- 
tively uncanny. Who told you that?" 

“ I know it," she said. “ It’s the other 
princess." 

'' Eh ? " he cried. 

^‘Your other princess," she repeated, 
with little nods of her head. You loved 
another princess before me, but she was 
unkind, and so you are unhappy. But I 
don’t want you to be unhappy any more 
now, ’cause I’m your Princess, and I’ll 
marry you when I’m quite grown up, and 
I’ll make you quite happy, and sew on all 
your shirt buttons." 

Mr. George Evans had listened to this 


71 


The Princess Proposes 

speech first with annoyance ; but when it 
was ended he gave a hearty laugh, until he 
saw the tears in the little girl’s eyes. 

“ I can nearly sew on a button now,” she 
said wistfully. 

“ And that’s your notion of a wife’s chief 
duty, is it? Well, there’s something in it. 
Anyhow, don’t cry ; and if you are not too 
long growing up, and are in the same mind 
twenty years hence, we — er — we will think 
about it.” 

“ Don’t you want me for your Princess ? ” 
she asked plaintively. 

Of course I do,” he said promptly. 

And won’t you forget about the other 
princess? ” 

“ I’ll try,” he replied, wondering all the 
time, with some irritation, who had been in- 
discreet enough to talk to the child of his 
broken engagement. 

Prince,” she said softly after a moment. 

Well ? ” he replied. 


That Little Limb 


72 

Was she wery good and beautiful ? 

Very/’ he replied laconically. 

“ Had she golden lovely hair ? ” she asked. 

'' Yes, she had golden hair.” 

Gwennie sighed. P’r’aps,” she sug- 
gested, I shall grow up beautifuller.” 

Never mind about being beautiful as 
long as you are good,” he remarked ; then 
catching sight of a large church service 
in her hand, to give the conversation 
another turn he asked, What did you 
hear at church to-day ? Oh, the cathedral, 
was it ? ” 

About being watered with spirits so as 
to make you grow good,” she replied 
promptly. 

Ah, to be sure I so you said. But you 
never told me how it was to be done.” 

That’s just what I don’t ezackly know. 
I suppose it’s like flowers ; only I think 
they must grow in the night, because I 
never see them growing.” 


The Princess Proposes 73 

I dare say they do ; people grow lying 
down.” 

- I should like to grow good,” said the 
little girl. I wonder if I could grow good 
to-night, like the man said in his sermon, 
if I tried.” 

I shouldn't wonder. I should go to 
bed early if I were you, and see what 
happens.” 

Well, I’ll try, so I’ll say good-night ; ” 
and she disappeared, after waving her hand 
to him in farewell. 

The Prince went in to his mother, smiling. 

You have been talking to your little 
friend,” she said, smiling back at him, 
pleased to see him happy. “ I always 
know when you have seen her ; she seems 
to amuse you ; though I can’t for the life 
of me think what you see in the child.” 

“She has just made me a proposal of 
marriage,” he laughed, “ and as an induce- 
ment offers to sew on my shirt buttons,” 


74 


That Little Limb 


What a very odd child 1 Where does 
she get such nonsensical ideas from ? ” 

‘‘ She does not think it nonsense/^ he 
maintained ; “ the child is always in such 
deadly earnest that one never dares to 
make fun of her. They don’t understand 
her at home.” 

“ You are quite ridiculous about that little 
limb, George. I call her a most unattract- 
ive little girl. I can’t think how she is 
the sister of that little angel.” 

“ She’s worth a dozen of the angel,” he 
retorted, and the subject dropped, and 
Gwennie Sinclair passed out of George 
Evans’s mind until the next afternoon, when 
he was walking along the garden path and 
heard only one little voice next door. He 
was surprised to find how he missed the 
little voice of the Princess when the day 
passed without her little elf-like face, with 
its big black eyes and tangle of black hair, 
peeping over the high red-brick wall, or 


75 


The Princess Proposes 

out of her nursery window, which he passed 
under during his evening stroll and smoke. 

Three days had passed without his seeing 
her, and he was quite glad when on the 
fourth, which was a fine hot day, her little 
white face appeared looking over the wall. 

“ Ah,’^ he said, there you are. Princess ! 
Where have you been ? You have quite 
forsaken your Prince.^’ 

“ IVe been ill,’^ she replied in a hoarse 
little voice — “ quite ill.’^ 

“ Poor little girl, you do look white ! 
WhaPs been the matter? ’’ 

It was the watering with spirits what 
did it,^^ she explained huskily. 

What ? said Mr. Evans. 

You know about it ; like what we was 
talking about so ’at I could grow good.” 

I don’t know what you are talking 
about now,” he said. What I want to 
know is how you managed to get this awful 
cold in this warm weather.” 


76 


That Little Limb 


It was watering with the spirits 
to make me grow good,” she repeated ; 

bit,” she added sadly, “ it made the 
bed wery wet and uncomfortable, and I 
haven’t grown up a bit; and nurse says 
I certainly haven’t grown good, and she 
doesn’t believe I ever shall. And I took 
such a lot of spirits out of the side- 
board ! And it had a most horwid smell ; 
and they was all wery angry, and said I 
was a limb; and how can I be a limb if 
I’m a little girl, when a limb’s only one leg 
or arm ? ” 

Mr. Evans stared mutely at the little 
creature gazing so seriously and wistfully at 
him with her questioning eyes. “ I don’t 
know what’s to be done with you, I’m 
sure,” he said at last. 

“ That’s what mother says,” she observed. 
“ But you told me to try it.” 

That I never did,” he replied emphat- 
ically. 


The Princess Proposes 77 

You said I'd better go to bed and see if 
I could grow good." 

Yes ; but I never said anything about 
watering your bed with spirits, or anything 
else for that matter. You might have 
caught your death of cold or got rheumatic 
fever. Didn't you know the preacher was 
only talking figuratively ? " 

What's talking figgeravely ? " 

“ It's — er — it's making a picture of 
things ; but you must never do what you 
hear in sermons like that." 

“ Then what's the good of going to hear 
them ? " she demanded pertinently. 

“ Oh, dear ! " said the young man 
helplessly, I think you'd better ask 
the Canon; I'm not up in religion, you 
know." 

Uncle John doesn't like me," she said 
shrewdly, so I don't think I'll ask him. 
Bit I've promised mother not to water my- 
self any more, so I must try and grow good 


78 That Little Limb 

some other way. I suppose you don^t know 
a good way? ” 

“ I am afraid I do not.’’ He felt inclined 
to advise her not to try and grow good any 
more, such attempts apparently being des- 
tined to be failures in her case, but on sec- 
ond thought felt it would be safer not to 
give any advice at all, except to take care 
of herself. 

“ Yes,” she agreed. And that makes 
me remember that nurse said I was onl}^ to 
walk about, and never to stand still, or else 
I should catch cold again ; so p’r’aps I’d 
better not stand on this chair any more.” 
And she disappeared. 


CHAPTER VI 


“SWEAR NOT A TALL ONE 











CHAPTER VI 


** SWEAR NOT A TALL ONE ” 

T he red speck of the Princess cigar 
had no sooner come under the nurs- 
ery window than a little head 
leaned out of it ; and he had scarcely come 
within earshot of the piercing little voice, 
with its peculiarly clear enunciation, than 
it opened the conversation by saying : 

WeVe had a most ’citing day, Prince — 
dreffully ’citing — and it’s all been through 
’Gelic Being.” 

^^That,” replied the Prince, surprises 
me. I should not [have suspected that in- 
fant of causing excitement. Are you sure it 
was not you ? ” 

No, I didn’t do it. I wouldn’t do seek 
a thing — never I ” 


82 


That Little Limb 


Really ? What was it, Princess ? ” 

Well, you won’t go into highstrikes if I 
tell you ? ” This came rather doubtfully. 

“ Certainly not.” 

Well ” — pause — well ” — another pause 
— “ I don’t like much telling you, bit he 
swore to-day ! ” 

Ahem 1 ” said George, “ that was very 
wrong of him, of course — very wrong ” — 
more severely — especially at his age ” 
(this as an afterthought). How old is the 
young rascal — is it three or four ? Oh, four, 
is he? Well, that is too young ; but it does 
not appear on the face of it to be very ex- 
citing.” 

Gwennie nodded her head. Bit it 
was, though. It was the Bishop who began 
it ” She was quickly interrupted. 

What I the — er — swearing ? Surely 
not ! ” George showed his amazement. 

Course not ; the ’citement, I mean. You 
see, this was how the lamentable thing hap- 


''Swear Not A Tall One'" 83 

pened/’ (George recognized his bugbear, 
the Canon, in this expression.) We was 
all sitting at lunch — me and ^Gelic Being 
and mother, and Uncle John and two other 
crows. 

‘‘ Crows ? queried George. 

“ That’s what you called them the other 
day ; dignitaries of the Church, Uncle John 
said, bit your name is shorter.” 

I deny the expression,” said George 
with energy, mentally resolving to be more 
careful in the choice of his language in the 
future. Anyway, I don’t remember using 
it to you. And you must not say it ; you 
must say what your uncle says — dignitaries 
of the Church — even if it is longer. But 
never mind that now. So that little beggar 
swore at the Bishop I Well, that does sound 
exciting. What did the Bishop say ? Go on.” 

Of course you never swear, do you. 
Prince ? ” inquired Gwennie, going off, as 
she often did, at a tangent. 


84 


TTiat Little Limb 


The young man looked up at the inno- 
cent little face with some embarrassment. 
“ Of course not — that is to say, not if I can 
help it, I mean. You see, little one, it is 
different for a man.’^ 

“ How ? demanded Gwennie, with more 
pertinence than she was aware of. 

Why — er — you see,^^ began George, and 
then added disingenuously, “ when you 
speak of a river being stopped by a dam, or 
a rock being blasted, for instance, grown-up 
people are obliged to use words which are 
swearing really.’* 

I see,” said Gwennie ; adding in a tone 
of triumph, I am glad you don’t swear 
’cept like that; I knew you wouldn’t” — 
showing a simple faith in the young man 
which made him strangely ashamed. I’m 
going to swear not a tall one.” 

A tall what ? ” asked he. 

Swear not a tall one,” she repeated ; 
nurse taught me and ’Gelic Being that 


Swear Not A Tall One^' 85 

out of the Bible after ^Gelic Being said that 
word. At least nurse said, ^ Swear not a 
tall.’ Bit that doesn’t make sense. Nurse 
isn’t wery highly educated,” she explained 
apologetically, so I made it into sense.” 

You’ll end as a blue-stocking, I can 
see,” was his comment on this. Logic or 
moral science will be your forte, I should 
say. You must be interesting additions to 
the festive board I I wonder your mother 
has you down when she has visitors.” 

That’s just what nurse says,” remarked 
Gwennie in surprise. ^‘And mother says 
we’re something awful, and she shan’t have 
a friend left soon. And what do you think 
’Gelic Being said the other day when 
mother had the three Miss Bryants to 
lunch?” 

I hope he did not swear? ” said George 
anxiously, the above-mentioned ladies 
being of the stifFest and most starched of 
the Close community. 


86 


That Little Limb 


No/^ replied Gwennie ; “ but he made 
a most untoward speech.’^ (“ The Canon 
again,” said George to himself.) There 
was no man there ’cept him, because Uncle 
John was away ; and ^Gelic Being doesnT 
like ladies much, ’cause they will kiss him 
so hard, and he said quite loud, ^ There’s 
too many womens here ; I s’an’t stay.’ So 
I tried to make him stay, and so I said, 
^ Do stay, ’Gelic Being ; they can’t help it, 
and they’re all superflus women.’ ” 

“ Great Scott ! ” cried George, shaken out 
of his caution by the unexpectedness and 
aptitude of the remark, where did you get 
hold of that expression ? ” (“ Surely that 

can’t be the Canon ! ” he muttered to him- 
self.) 

It was on a book what mother was read- 
ing, in gold letters, and I thought it was 
something nice ; but mother says it was 
quite the wrong thing to say to those 
ladies, because they was not married. One 


'' Swear Not A Tall One ' ' 87 

has to be careful what one says to not mar- 
ried people, it seems,” she moralized. “ I 
suppose it’s the married people that are su- 
perflus, is it. Prince ? ” 

But the Prince declined to be drawn out 
on the subject, and manfully suppressed a 
chuckle as he thought of the three ladies 
of uncertain age, not one of them engaged 
in any profitable work, so far as he could 
see — unless paying calls and ill-natured 
gossiping came under this head. To turn 
the subject, he remarked, But about 
lunch to-day ? ” 

“ We was all sitting at lunch,” she re- 
peated ; and you know mamma has ’Gelic 
Being helped first, because he’s so slow ; 
and so he had his soup first before any one 
else, and it was hot, and he took one mouth- 
ful, and then he just dropped his spoon and 
said — you know that word with a D what 
stops rivers.” 

Mr. Evans took his cigar out of his mouth 


88 


That Little Limb 


and looked at the little girl, puzzled for a 
moment. That stops rivers?” he re- 
peated. Oh, of course — yes — I see — 
ahem ! ” 

“ Yes, that^s it. Well, now was the 
^citing piece. Mamma got quite white, and 
Uncle John got dreffully red ; and the 
Bishop got red, too, and made a kind of 
choky noise, and got out his handkerchief 
and coughed ; and Uncle John said in his 
most awfully cross voice, ^ Constance, I 
think those children had better finish their 
lunch up-stairs.* And so nurse came and 
took us away. And ** (in awe-struck tones) 
^^just as the door was shutting there was 
such a funny noise ! And I asked nurse if 
the Bishop was laughing, and she said it 
was no laughing matter, and it was only 
highstrikes ; but it was so loud I think all 
the dignitaries of the church had high- 
strikes. And when I told cook, cook went 
and had them, too. And nurse took us 


''Swear Not A Tall One'" 


89 

away to learn that text, and she said they 
was all one as bad as the other; and I 
really think they was, poor things ! Mother 
didn’t have highstrikes, though, for I asked 
her ; but she says ’Gelic Being and me will be 

the death of her one day ; so, you see ” 

Here she stopped, for George was sitting on 
a seat on the edge of the grass, his hand- 
kerchief up to his face, and a muffled sound 
of laughter was to be heard. 

“ It’s the highstrikes,” remarked Gwennie 
gravely and anxiously ; adding, “ and you 
said you wouldn’t have it.” 

“ Yes, it’s the highstrikes,” he replied in 
a choked voice. If a bishop can laugh, 
so can I,” he reasoned.) 

“ Well, come and stand quite close under 
the wall and I’ll pour water on you,” she 
said coaxingly. That’s quite the thing to 
do, unless you have a burning feather, and 
I’m afraid I can’t get that.” 

'' No, I’m bang — that’s to say, I’m getting 


90 


That Little Limb 


better/' But seeing that he was apparently 
still smitten with this extraordinary attack, 
Gwennie had an inspiration. She remem- 
bered seeing the garden syringe at the bot- 
tom of the nursery stairs, where a careless 
housemaid had left it full, as it happened, 
after syringing the windows. It was the 
work of a moment to fetch it and point it 
at the unconscious young man on the seat. 

“ D shouted George, springing up 

like a shot, as the Avell-directed volume of 

water fell on his face, “what " Then 

seeing another shower imminent, he turned 
incontinently and fled. 

Gwennie looked after him thoughtfully. 
“ I almost thought he said that river 
swear," she murmured ; “ but of course he 
can’t have, as there was nothing to say it 
about here." Presently she heard the young 
man enter the house, and as she stood there 
dreaming and thinking — for this odd child 
thought far too much for her years — she 


''Swear Not A Tall One'' 91 

heard peals of laughter from their drawing- 
room, which looked on to this side of the 
garden. 

He must have told them, and they are 
all having it. It must be an awful word,^' 
she commented. Then leaving the window, 
she crept into bed, where she was supposed 
to have been long ago, and, deeply imbued 
with the disastrous effects of strong lan- 
guage, murmured as she fell asleep, I will 
swear not a tall one/^ 














CHAPTER VII 


A VOYAGE OP DISCOVERT 















CHAPTER VII 


A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY 

G WENNIE was sitting on the wall of 
the garden overlooking the Evanses’ 
place. It had come to be under- 
stood by both sides that she might sit there. 

George’s absurd ” fancy for talking to 
her, as his parents called it, made her tol- 
erated and even welcomed on the other side, 
and Mrs. Evans would sometimes offer her 
fruit or flowers (which she invariably 
handed on to some one else) ; and Gwennie’s 
nurse was wont to say that the wall was the 
one place where she was out of mischief, 
and to welcome the sound of young Mr. 
Evans’s voice as meaning a relaxation of 
guard for her. 

For Gwennie, the wall was her kingdom. 


g6 That Little Limb 

and the mounting of it the time for her 
assumption of royalty. 

She’s come, Prince,” was her greeting as 
the young man approached. 

“ Who’s she? ” he demanded. 

The old quadreped of the feelin tribe.” 

“Eh?” said he. “Quadruped of the 
feline tribe? Oh, I see — a cat. Well, it 
would have been shorter to say so. I did 
not know you were expecting one. Is it a 
Persian ? ” 

“ No-o — at least I think she’s English ; 
and I said an old quadreped.” 

“ Well, that’s an old cat in common 
language. What about her ? ” 

“You mustn’t call her a old cat ; it’s not 
polite, nurse says, and she was very angry 
with cook for saying so. I looked in my 
animal book, and it said a cat was a quadre- 
ped of the feelin tribe, so I call her that ; 
bit her name is really Aunt Grace.” 

“ Goodness ! Well, why could you not 


97 


A Voyage of Discovery 

have said that properly, instead of making 
me call your aunt names ? I hope you will 
not repeat it ; and take my advice and be a 
good little girl while she is here. Don’t 
call her rude names.” 

Gwennie shook her head. “ She doesn’t 
think me a good little girl ; she says I’m an 
impertinent child and ought to be punished 
severely.” 

Why, what have you done? ” 

“ I don’t know, ’cept that I asked her at 
lunch yesterday if she would lend me her 
hair sometimes when she wasn’t using it, so 
that I might play at being grown up ; and 
she wasn’t at all pleasant about it, and I told 
her I only wanted it when she took it off. 
I’m afraid,” she added, she’s got an awful 
temper, because she got dreffully red and 
slapped me afterward. Fancy ! when I 
asked sech a little favor like that.” 

“ Well — er — people don’t like lending 
their clothes.” 


98 


That Little Limb 


It wasn^t her clothes ; it was her hair/^ 

“ Or their hair ; you must never ask for 
such things/' 

Gwennie sighed. It's sech beautiful 
hair ! — all yellow, much nicer than her 
other — and I could have been a real fairy 
princess." 

How's the tortoise ? " said George, dis- 
creetly leaving this delicate ground. 

“ I think he's pretty well, thank you," 
she said indifferently. Bit I wish he 
could talk. I'm rather dull to-day some- 
how ; I haven't seen mother hardly since 
the quadreped came." 

You must say Aunt Grace," said George 
severely. 

‘^Wery well," said Gwennie, “but the 
other name suits her best ; she isn't a bit 
like Grace. It would be easier to call 
her an ugly name. And she's so ungrate- 
ful ! " 

“ Is she ? How ? " asked the young man. 


A Voyage of Discovery 99 

At breakfast she bent down to kiss 
^Gelic Being, and I just said, ‘ Take care or 
your hair will fall off ; ’ and she was so 
rude, and Uncle John shook me quite hard 
— he did really — I showed nurse the place 
on my arm — and told me not to speak all 
breakfast ; and it^s our last breakfast down- 
stairs while she’s here, ’cause Uncle John 
says so. So I shan’t see mother hardly at all 
now.” 

Little girls are much better in the nurs- 
ery. When you get older you will under- 
stand why you must never make personal 
remarks like that.” 

But the other day when a bit of mother’s 
hair was coming down I told her, and she 
said, ^ Thank you, darling.’” 

Ah, that’s different — quite different ! ” 

Things are wery puzzling and wery 
dull,” said the little girl in a melancholy 
tone, ending in a sigh. 

Why don’t you have a think ? Pretend 


. OF a 


lOO 


That Little Limb 


to be some one very exciting/’ suggested 
George, who knew that he had only to 
launch Gwennie into the realms of fancy to 
make her content for days or even weeks — 
that is to say, as long as the story she was 
weaving in her brain lasted. 

Gwennie was silent ; she brightened up, 
and her little face lost the pathetic droop ; 
then her eyes became dreamy. Her com- 
panion smiled to himself as he turned 
away. Gwennie had begun her “ think,” as 
she called it. He did not even say good- 
bye, for he knew she would not hear him 
nor miss him ; and now, he thought to him- 
self with satisfaction, perhaps she would not 
miss her mother so much. At any rate for 
the time being he had chased away the 
pathetic look he could not bear to see on the 
little girl’s face, which had the power of ex- 
pressing such depths of woe and such 
heights of bliss. 

Meanwhile Gwennie was no longer dull. 


A Voyage of Discovery loi 

She slipped off the wall and went to seek 
the Angelic Being, who shared all her far 
from angelic plans. 

“ ’Gelic Being,” she informed him, I’m 
Robinson Crusoe ; and you’re my man 
Friday, so hold yourself up, ’cause we’re 
going for a voyage of discovery.” 

“ Yeth,” replied Man Friday, holding his 
little form erect as commanded. 

P’r’aps we’d better wait till we’ve had 
dinner, ’cause you might be hungry, and 
you always cry when you’re hungry.” 

Me not cry,” protested the little fellow. 

Well, there’s the dinner-bell, so we can’t 
escape from the wreck till after dinner any- 
how, so we must wait,” replied his sister, 
who was probably feeling the pangs of 
hunger herself ; “ and then, as soon as 
nurse goes out of the nursery, you just 
throw yourself into the sea, and I’ll save 
you on a desert island where there’s no 
shelter and no food.” 


102 


That Little Limb 


“ ^Gelic Being hungry,” objected that 
youth. The prospect of a desert island did 
not appear inviting. 

But we shall find food, of course. 
Come ^long ; there^s nurse calling. Only be 
quiet, and don’t tell anybody about the 
desert island.” 

“ Aw right,” agreed the little boy ; and 
the two went off contentedly to dine, pre- 
paratory to the fateful voyage. 

Hi Hi iii ifi 

Hello ! ” exclaimed Mr. George Evans 
next day when he caught sight of Gwennie 
seated on the garden wall with the most 
woebegone countenance possible. “ I 
thought I should meet some wonderful 
personage this morning — the Emperor of 
the Sahara at least. Wasn’t the think a 
success ? ” 

Gwennie looked at him ; her look was 
expressive. “ Awful,” she said. I’m not 
going to have any more thinks. Aunt 


A Voyage of Discovery 103 

Grace says only an enormous girl like me 
would think of sech things/^ 

“ Enormous ? queried George as he 
looked at the tiny mite, so small for her 
age, which was not great. Ah I I see — 
abnormal. What did you think of? 

It began all right. I was Robinson 

Crusoe, and ^Gelic Being She 

paused. “ I think — only I ought not to 
think, of course — that ’Gelic Being isn’t 
quite the right name for Leslie. Any rate 
’Gelic Being was Man Friday, and we went 

out for a voyage of discovery ” 

And you got lost, of course.” 

“ No ; that’s just what we didn’t. I tried 
to discover something, only there was noth- 
ing to discover on the road ; but ’Gelic 
Being would keep on being tired and 
hungry, and I promised him to discover 
food, and he wanted some sweets in a little 
shop, and so I discovered them and gave 
them to him.” 


104 That Little Limb 

'‘But, of course, you paid for them?^' 
said George, with inward doubts. 

“ Of course I didn^t,” said Gwennie in 
injured tones. “You don^t pay for things 
you discover.’^ 

“ Certainly you do if they are in shop 
windows.’^ 

“ But mother often goes into a shop and 
takes things, and she doesn’t pay for them. 
She took a lot of cakes the other day and 
just walked out of the shop with them; 
and that’s what I did. Only the woman 
of her shop smiled at mother and said, 
' Thank you,’ and the man of my shop, 
who came in just as ’Gelic Being and I was 
going out of the door, wasn’t at all kind 
like that.” 

George Evans had ceased to show as- 
tonishment at anything Gwennie said, 
or to feel it, for that matter; he looked 
at things from her point of view. But 
he always remonstrated with her and 


A Voyage of Discovery 105 

tried to show her other people^s points 
of view. 

“ Look here/’ he said accordingly, “ can’t 
you see the difference between your mother’s 
way of shopping and yours ? ” 

Gwennie shook her head. “ No, I can’t.” 

Well, there is a difference. Your mother 
meant to pay ; she very likely had not her 
money with her.” ( “ But neither had I,” 
said Gwennie.) But the woman knew she 
was going to pay afterward.” 

She didn’t say so,” Gwennie persisted. 

Then she had a bill there. But never 
mind ; you don’t understand. What did 
the man say when he saw you walking off 
with his goods like that ? ” 

“ He got wery red and said naughty, un- 
kind things, and took the sweets away ; and 
’Gelic Being cried, and so he gave them 
back to him ; and he asked me all about 
me and my name, and where I lived, and 
when I told him he was angrier than be- 


io6 


That Little Limb 


fore, and said I was a naughty story-teller 
and it was no good telling him sech non- 
sense/^ 

“ I suppose he could not believe Canon 
Sinclair’s little grand-niece would do such 
a thing.” 

“ Oh ! bit I wasn’t Uncle John’s niece 
then ; I was Robinson Crusoe, and lived 
on a desert island. And he said it 
was a pack of — a rude word what I can’t 
say ! ” 

It’s my belief,” said young Mr. Evans, 
thoughtfully regarding her, “ that you can’t 
think like other people. If I were you I’d 
give up being other people.” ( If she had 
been an ordinary little girl,” he argued 
with himself, she would have looked out 
for a pond with an island and half-drowned 
herself or the Angelic Being, which would 
have been worse in a way, but more com- 
prehensible ; but to go tamely shop-lifting ! ” 
The young man shook his head.) You 


A Voyage of Discovery 107 

haven told me the end of the adventure 
yet/^ 

Gwennie sighed. ‘‘ Nurse came to dis- 
cover us, and she paid the man, and petted 
^Gelic Being, and scolded me, and told the 
man I was a little limb and would end at 
the galleys or worse, the way I was carry- 
ing on. And I mayn’t speak to any body at 
all to-day. So ” — the thought evidently just 
striking her, as usual, rather late — ^^you 
must go away ; ” and she put her finger on 
her lips. 

“ Poor little beggar I ” said George Evans. 

I wish she was my little sister. Poor lit- 
tle beggar ! ” 



CHAPTER VIII 

EBSUERBCTION— THE DEAN HAS A PEIGHT 











CHAPTER VIII 


RESUREECTION THE DEAN HAS A FRIGHT 

I ^RINCE/’ began the limb/^ as she 
sat on the window-sill dangling her 
little feet to and fro, I resurrected 

to-day/^ 

“ Yes ? observed the Prince in a non- 
committal tone. After the tortoise he was 
chary of giving his sympathy until he was 
sure that it was deserved. 

Yes, from the dead,’' she continued, 
nodding her little head — ‘‘you know, ac- 
cording to the Creed.” 

“ I hope you are not going to be irrev- 
erent,” he objected ; “ because, you know, I 
ought not to allow you to make a joke of 
such things.” 

“ It’s no joke, Thomas says,” she replied 
gravely. (Thomas was the butler.) “ I 


That Little Limb 


1 12 

meant it all right ; bit it’s no use my 
trying to be good and holy, because what 
I do never does get right.” 

The Prince, being unable to controvert 
the undeniable truth of this statement, 
evaded it by asking, ‘‘ What did you want 
to die for ? ” 

It was nurse’s fault this time,” she 
observed. 

“ It generally is somebody’s fault, I notice. 
I’m sure nurse did not want you to die,” 
he objected. 

“Well, she didn’t say ezackly that; bit 
when I asked her how I was to get into a 
real good little girl, she said she didn’t 
expect it, without a miracle, till I was an 
angel in the next world.” 

“ I hope to goodness you have not ” 

The young man hesitated ; he half-feared 
in these days of morbid precocity she 
might have tried to hasten that time. 

“ Not been an angel, do you mean ? No, 


Resurrection — The Dean Has a Fright 113 

I haven't; 'cause I asked nurse, and she 
said no, I certainly hadn't, and she simply 
durstn't open her mouth before me any 
more." 

Why not particularly ? " 

The “limb" mused, and her eyes took 
their far-away look. Presently, with ap- 
parent irrelevancy, she said, “ You know 
that coflGin-shop down Bishops' Walk?" 

“ Undertaker's, you mean." 

“ Yes. I saw a little thin coffin there, 
just about as tall as me, only it had no top 
or bottom, and I asked the man how much 
it cost, and he said it wouldn’t cost any- 
thing, because it was too small and was 
going to be broken in bits. So I said it 
would just fit me, and he said I gave him 
a turn, and I hadn't given him anything, 
and he went away." 

“ You ought not to go to such places. 
Where was nurse ? " 

“ I lost her in the gardens, like I do 


114 


That Little Limb 


when I want to go by myself, so I just 
went there, and I saw a little boy and told 
him to bring that little coffin to the Deanery 
and I would give him a new sixpence. So he 
asked what for, and I said it was too small 
and was going to be broken in bits, and I 
wanted it most particularly ; so he said it 
was a lark, and he brought it into Uncle 
John^s study and put in on the side-table 
opposite the door, and I gave him sixpence. 
He never said ‘ Thank you ^ or anything, 
but ‘ Cricky ! ^ 

Now, what on earth mischief were you 
up to this time ? asked George Evans. 

“ It was not mischief ; I meant it quite 
properly. I thought the study was more 
a right place for such a thing than the 
dining-room, because of dinner, and there 
were visitors in the drawing-room ; and I 
put a lot of white flowers all on it, and 
put on my best white dress, and whitened 
my face, and got into the coffin, quite 


Resurrection — The Dean Has a Fright 115 

good, with some flowers in my hand, 
and 

** YesV in a non-committal tone. 

Oh, Prince, I did feel so good and 
happy I 

The Prince gave vent to an exclamation. 

I hope to goodness your mother did not 
come in and And you ? ” 

** No, but Uncle John did ; and he said — 
well, perhaps I^d better not say what he 
said, bit he took the Lord^s name in wain ; 
so I opened my eyes and told him so, and he 
was wery wiolent. Nurse says it^s a mercy 
he didn't bave a stroke or something. And 
he rang the bell and asked for wine, and 
Thomas came, atid he took the Lord's name 
in wain ; and his hand shook as he poured 
out the wine, and he spilt it, and so I sat 
up in the coffln, for it wasn't any good being 
dead. And then mother came in, and cried 
and laughed together, and squeezed me in 
her arms, and called me her precious 


ii6 


That Little Limb 


darling ; and Uncle John said, ' I tell you, 
Constance, your precious darling will be 
the death of me with her unseemly jokes 
and games/ And mother carried me off to 
bed, crying and laughing all the time, and 
put me to bed, because she said I was a 
naughty child frightening them all like 
that ; and that^s where I am, you see/^ 

I do see,” remarked the young man, 
and I^m not at all sure that I ought to be 
talking to you when youVe been so — so — 
well, unseemly.” Mr. Evans could not say 
naughty ; whatever else she had meant, she 
had not meant to be that, he knew. 

The “limb” sighed. “ It’s so wery dull 
in bed,” she said ; “ and all the time I feel 
so unhappy, because I think how lovely it 
would have been if I had been really dead 
— they was all so sorry ; and mother kept 
saying she was thankful it was not true ; 
and Thomas — poor Thomas says he felt 
more’n any one as he saw me lie there, and 




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Resurrection — The Dean Has a Fright 117 

he thought for the minute I really was an 
angel, till I sat up and gave him sech a 
drefFul fright/^ 

“ What made you do such a thing ? You 
knew very well that getting into a cofi&n 
would not make you die ; it was all pre- 
tense.’^ 

I was expecting a miracle, according to 
the Scriptures and what nurse said.” 

“ I am not surprised that nurse is afraid 
to open her mouth.” 

“I’m not friends with nurse just now.” 

“ I’m not surprised.” 

“ She says I’m a hardened little sinner, 
because I won’t say I’m sorry for frighten- 
ing them all, and I can’t say that in truth.” 

“ But surely you are sorry ? ” he asked in 
surprise. 

The big dark eyes filled with tears. “ I 
can’t be ; it was so beautiful to have every 
one love me, and have mother kiss me and 
hug me like she does ’Gelic Being, and I 


ii8 


That Little Limb 


can’t be sorry ’bout that. I’d die every day 
if they’d be like that, instead of calling me 
a limb and a hardened little sinner ; ” and 
a sob fell on the young man’s ear. 

He cleared his throat, and his voice had 
a suspicious huskiness as he said, Look 
here, little one, you go to bed and try to 
sleep, and I’ll have a surprise present for 
you to-morrow.” 

Oh, will you ? Oh, thank you, dear 
Prince ! What does it begin with ? ” 

The young man considered. It begins 
with an A.” 

“ An A ? ” she said, pondering. “ That 
might be a lot of things ; it might be an 

apple, or an apricot, or an ape, or ” 

Or a thousand things ; you just go to 
sleep and dream of apples and apricots and 
all sorts of nice things.” 

A long-drawn sigh of relieved feelings 
came from her. I’m glad after all ’at I’m 
alive. I couldn’t have this surprise present 


Resurrection — The Dean Has a Fright 119 

if I wasn’t, could I ? I shall just have a 
lovely time guessing about it. Good-night, 
dear Prince.” 

Good-night, Princess ; sweet dreams.” 
And he stood there until the little white- 
robed figure withdrew from the window. 



CHAPTER IX 


A DISASTEOTJS TEA -PARTY 


CHAPTER IX 


A DISASTROUS TEA-PARTY 

r I ^HE fact is, Prince, I want society.” 

I “ Indeed ? ” remarked Mr. Evans 
as he rolled a cigarette in his fin- 
gers, and smiled on the Princess. 

'' Yes, I am too peculiar.” (George Evans 
laughed.) It^s the quadreped — oh, well, 
you know who — that says it. She^s mos^ 
awfully shocked about having a niece like 
me, so I^m going to have a party — a grand, 
big party — all for myself ; and I^m going to 
^range it all myself, and that’ll give me a 
lot to think about, so p’r’aps I shan’t be 
able to think ’bout you quite so much. 
Bit you mustn’t mind, because I have you 
always, and I’ve never had a party before ; 
and mamma says I must think hard to 
make it a success. The quad — Aunt Grace 


124 


That Little Limb 


is coming to it. And, of course, after 
the society is gone I shall come back to 
you.^^ 

'' Thanks,'' said George, who had listened 
quite gravely to this harangue from his 
small neighbor on the wall. It's well to 
be candid even if one is not complimentary. 
When is this wonderful party to be, and 
what are you going to think of to make it a 
success ? You'd better tell me your think 
beforehand." 

“ It's going to be next Tuesday, bit I’m 
going to think now ; " and she puckered up 
her quaint little face. Only mother says 
it mustn't be anything crewsome like a res- 
urrection, because that made her ill ; it's 
got to be something what's gay and amus- 
ing." 

How about a charade ? " suggested the 
young man. “ That ought to answer." 

What's a gerard ? " 

Charade," corrected her companion. 


A Disastrous Tea-Party 125 

It^s a kind of play — a game you act — a 
story — and pretepd to be some one.’^ 

Bit that’s what I always do I ” 

Precisely ! That’s why I proposed it.” 

“ I can’t be a princess, because that’s a 
secret, and I don’t want anybody to know 
’bout that.” (A pause.) I might be a 
fairy, mightn’t I ? ” 

‘^Then you must be a good fairy and 
make people happy.” 

Yes, that’ll be lovely ; and I’ll put on a 
beautiful white dress, and have a gold wand, 
and turn everybody into what they want to 
be. Good-bye, Prince ; I’ve sech a lot to 
think of now ! ” And the child scrambled 
off the wall, turning round to wave the 
Prince a last farewell. 

The latter turned on his heel, smiling to 
himself. Poor little mite ! I am glad 
they are beginning to understand her — or 
rather to try to understand her,” he mused. 
He smiled more than once to himself dur- 


126 


That Little Limb 


ing the ensuing days as he found himself 
missing the quaint little creature and her 
still quainter remarks ; for, true to her 
word and her habit of being absorbed in 
the affair of the moment, she did not come 
near the wall or the window of the night 
nursery until the eventful Tuesday was 
nearly over. Mr. Evans found himself 
wishing that he was among the invited 
guests, and wondering what sort of a fairy- 
tale she would make up. That it would be 
something unexpected he did not doubt, 
and hoped it would be the success it was 
expected to be. 

It was therefore with pleasure as well 
as surprise that he saw little Gwennie at 
her nursery window, evidently on the look- 
out for him, on the afternoon of the party. 

“ Hello ! party over ? he cried in sur- 
prise, for it was only six o^clock. Why, 
what’s the matter? ” for the little girl’s face 
was swollen and tearful. 


127 


A Disastrous Tea-Party 

“ It isn’t over ; it’s going on by itself 
with ’Gelic Being and the other little chil- 
dren. And it isn’t a success at all ; it’s 
been wery awkward.” 

“Now, what on earth did you do?” he 
said, fearful of a scrape as usual. 

“ I’ll tell you on the way,” she replied. 

“ The way ? What way ? ” he inquired. 

“ On the way of our flight. I’m going 
to fly with you.” 

“ Whew I Is it as bad as all that ? 
Where do you want to fly to ? The 
moon ? ” 

“ Yes, if you like,” said Gwennie, looking 
wistfully at that orb as it hung pale and 
cold in the twilight. 

“ Then you’d never see your mother any 
more, or Angelic Being, or your papa or 
anybody.” 

A little sob checked him. Bit I’m so 
wery, wery unhappy ; and I’m only going to 
have bread and water all to-morrow ; and — 


128 


That Little Limb 


and — I’m so hungry, ’cause I’ve had no 
tea.” And she broke down and covered 
her face with her hands. 

Never mind ; don’t cry, little one. I’ll 
be a prince in disguise, and bring you some 
cakes in a minute.” 

Down came her hands from her face, 
and she looked at him with astonished 
eyes. “ Bit it would be cheating,” she said 
at last very positively. 

Not if I am a prince and you are an im- 
prisoned princess.” 

Gwennie shook her head. No princess 
could go and eat cakes when her mother 
said she was to be punished by not having 
anything.” 

The young man was abashed. “ Then no 
princess would run away from her mother.” 

“I’m not running away from mother ; 
I’m flying from a wicked, cruel ogre 
and ogress — that’s Uncle John and Aunt 
Grace.” 


129 


A Disastrous Tea-Party 

You haven’t told me yet what is the 
matter. What happened at the party ? 
Didn’t you act the fairy-tale? ” 

“ Yes ; and they didn’t like it one bit. 
Nobody ever likes my thinks. I was a 
good fairy, and I had on my best white 
dress ; and Aunt Grace made me a golden 
crown and wand — and it’s the wery last 
thing she will ever make for me. And 
’Gelic Being was a fairy too, and carried a 
fairy basket with all my gifts in it ; and we 
sang a little song what mother had taught 
us; and Uncle John clapped and said 
^ Bravo ! ’ and then I began to act the 
story.” Here Gwennie became animated, 
and with many gestures began to relate the 
fairy-tale which she enacted with such ap- 
parently untoward results. 

‘‘ And I said ’at I was come to make them 
all happy and good, and mother was to 
have daddy back all ’twonst, and I gave her 
daddy’s photograph out of ’Gelic Being’s 


130 


That Little Limb 


golden fairy basket, and she began to cry. 
And then I gave the little Bellairs a penny 
out of my money-box, ’cause they never 
give any money to the collections — and 
Uncle John said that himself, so he needn’t 
have been so cross ; and I gave him a little 
box of glycerine, you know, all scented.” 

“ Why on earth ? ” 

“So as to rub on his face to take away all 
his cross wrinkles.” 

“ Did you tell him so? ” asked George. 

“ Of course I did ; and he never said 
^ Thank you ’ even. What did you say ? ” 
at a sound from George. 

“ Oh, nothing,” replied that worthy, who 
had only chuckled. 

“ And I gave Johnnie Sykes a cake — so 
as to make him not greedy any more ; and 
mother said that was wery rude. And then 
I gave Aunt Grace two yellow curls from 
the hair of one of my children, like the ones 
she puts on, and some red stuff for her 


A Disastrous Tea-Party 131 

cheeks what makes them so red and pretty, 
and she was wery angry ; and Uncle John 
said he’d had enough of that fairy-tale, and 
I wasn’t a good fairy at all, bit a spiteful 
little girl, and was to go away to bed. And 
Aunt Grace says I’m a wery naughty little 
girl, and nobody will ever love me — never, 
never — and I was never to go into her 
room again.” 

Why did you give such gifts ? You 
must surely have known that they would 
not please any one. How do you suppose 
that your uncle liked being told that he 
looked cross, for instance ? ” 

I never thought of that. I was think- 
ing how wery nice it would be if he could 
put that stuff on his face and take away 
that cross line on his forehead, ’cause Aunt 
Grace uses it to take away her wrinkles ; 
cook says so.” 

Cook ought not to say such things,” said 
George, relieved to be able to scold some 


132 


That Little Limb 


one ; and you ought not to go into visitors^ 
rooms and touch things/^ 

Then he paused and looked meditatively 
at the little girl, pondering over the utter 
futility of remonstrating with her. Looked 
at from her point of view, it was quite par- 
donable; but unfortunately her point of 
view was not practicable — never was. 

So you were not a social success — 
eh ? he queried at length. 

No’^ (sadly). “ Mother says it was most 
awkward altogether, and she doesiiT know 
what she’s going to do with me ; and Aunt 
Grace doesn’t either, and she pities mother 
for having sech an awful child. Do you 
pity mother ? ” she asked wistfully. 

George Evans cleared his throat. That 
was just what he did do, much as he loved 
his little friend ; but not for worlds would 
he have said so. I only wish you were 
my little girl,” he replied. 

Bit I couldn’t ’cause I’m your Princess, 


A Disastrous Tea-Party ^33 

and I^m going to marry you when I’m quite 
old — don’t you remember ? ” 

To be sure,” said he cheerfully. What 
shall we do then ? You must tell me your 
favorite cake, and we’ll have it every day.” 
It was an unfortunate remark. 

It’s sponge chocolate, and they’re hav- 
ing it down-stairs at this minute ; and I’m 
sure ’Gelic Being will have two pieces, 
’cause mother says it’s not at all unwhole- 
some.” 

Never mind ; I’m going to have a lovely 
cake for my party, with sugar and choco- 
lates and sweets on it, and a lucky sixpence 
in it, and you shall cut it and have the first 
piece.” 

“ Oh, thank you, thank you ! And will 
there be fondants on it? And when is 
your party ? ” 

To-morrow,” he replied promptly ; and 
there will be fondants on it.” 

Bit I mayn’t eat to-morrow,” she sighed. 


134 "That Little Limb 

“ Ah, to be sure ! I meant the day after 
to-morrow/' 

“You're quite sure?" she said doubt- 
fully. 

“ Certain. And it's going to be the most 
beautiful cake you ever saw." 

Gwennie gave a sigh of satisfaction. 
“ That will be much better than sponge 
chocolate," she said. “ I think I will go 
to bed now, 'cause I am so tired and my 
head feels so achy ; and I hope I'll never 
have another party, because everybody's 
cross with me, and nobody liked my gifts at 
all — not even mother." 

“ What would you have given me if I had 
been at the party ? " he asked. 

“ I wouldn't have given you anything." 

“No? Why not?" 

“ 'Cause I know what you want, and I 
don't want you to have it." 

“ What can you mean ? " asked he, 
puzzled. 


A Disastrous Tea-Party 135 

You know — that princess what you 
liked before me.” 

George was silent for a minute. This 
child was beyond him. 

“ Good-night, little one,” he said at last, 
and went away. 

True to his word, he insisted upon an 
elaborate cake being made for his party, 
which consisted of himself and Gwennie, 
and brought it to the wall for Gwennie to 
cut. His mother smiled indulgently at his 
folly, though she thought the dainty quite 
undeserved under the circumstances, for she 
shared the Canon’s suspicions of malice 
prepense in Gwennie’s gifts. 






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CHAPTER X 


THE WINGS OF A DOVE 


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CHAPTER X 


THE WINGS OF A DOVE 

T he chorister who was the soprano 
soloist was the pride of the Ca- 
thedral, and the afternoon on which 
he sang the anthem, “ Oh, for the wings of a 
dove,^^ he surpassed himself. Mrs. Sinclair 
thought she had never heard anything more 
beautiful, and as she glanced down at her 
little daughter she was touched to see the 
tears in the little girPs eyes as she stood 
there, her little hands clasped, and her big 
black eyes raised to heaven, looking, as her 
mother, with fond partiality, thought, al- 
most like an angel herself. Mrs. Sinclair 
decided to take Gwennie more often to the 
afternoon service with her ; it evidently did 
her good ; and at all events she was out of 
mischief for half-an-hour. 


140 


That Little Limb 


Well, Gwennie,^^ asked her mother on 
the way home, “ did you like the sing- 
ing?^^ 

“ Lovely ! ’’ said Gwennie. “ I did wish 
I was a dove with beautiful wings. 

Mrs. Sinclair smiled at her little daugh- 
ter, and kissed her more affectionately than 
usual when they reached the Deanery as she 
bade her run away to nurse. 

“ ’Gelic Being, Gwennie said when she 
met her little brother in the garden, 
wouldn’t you like to be a dove ? ” 

“ No,” said the Angelic Being promptly ; 
‘‘ me going to be a man.” 

But wouldn’t you like to have the 
wings of a dove, so that you could fly away 
whenever you liked, ever so far ? ” 

“ Yeth,” admitted the little fellow, ’Gelic 
Being like to fly.” 

Wery well, then, you shall. We’ll be- 
gin to-morrow. I must make the wings 
first — two for you and two for me — that’s 


141 


The Wings of a Dove 

four ; and then we must put them on and 
fly — all everywhere ; and she waved her 
hands vaguely all around. 

The Angelic Being looked at her with 
interest and wonder, but being as yet 
a youth of few words, merely replied, 
Yeth.’^ 

Gwennie retired to a secluded corner of 
the garden which she called her secret 
bower, and began picking up sticks, which 
she formed into various shapes. None 
apparently pleased her, for she shook her 
head and then went up to the house and 
stood for some time in front of her uncle’s 
study, with her hands clasped behind her, 
looking at the Gloire de Dijon rose which 
was trained over the wall of the study, so 
that the blossoms came nodding in at the 
window. This rose-tree was her uncle’s 
pride and joy, as Gwennie well knew. 

It seems almost a pity to cut it,” she 
soliloquized, “ bit there aren’t any sticks 


142 


That Little Limb 


that are bent ezackly the right shape ex- 
cept these. I’m afraid it will spoil the tree 
rather, bit Uncle John said the other day 
we ought to give up the things we care for, 
and that was why he took my favorite 
child ” (she meant doll) “ and gave it away 
to that horrid little girl what came here 
yesterday ; and he didn’t mind a bit when 
I cried, so course he won’t mind giving up 
a little bit of his tree for wings for ’Gelic 
Being and me.” 

Her conscience, or whatever did duty for 
that faculty with Gwennie, being satisfied, 
she went to the greenhouse, fetched a pair 
of garden scissors, and began hacking at the 
root of the branch she desired. After a 
time, finding all her efforts vain, she tried 
another, a little thinner one, and so on 
until she found one that yielded to her 
hacking ; and at the end of about half-an- 
hour she had succeeded in tearing down 
from the wall enough branches for her 


The Wings of a Dove 143 

purpose. Triumphant, but with torn and 
bleeding hands, the little girl returned to 
her secret bower, trailing behind her the 
long branches of the once beautiful Gloire 
de Dijon which she had, with such mis- 
placed perseverance, torn off the study wall. 

An hour afterward the Canon’s garden 
resounded with cries for the Angelic 
Being. Most ’strordinary ! ” muttered 
the little girl as she searched high and 
low for her little brother in the arbor, the 
shrubbery, the orchard, and finally in their 
own garden, where she at length un- 
earthed him, sitting placidly playing with 
some soldiers. 

Didn’t you hear me calling, ’Gelic 
Being ? ” she asked reproachfully. I’ve 
been looking everywhere for you.” 

''Yeth,” said the Angelic Being, with 
seraphic calm. 

“ Then why didn’t you say you were 
here?” 


144 


That Little Limb 


Me not want to/’ he replied placidly. 

But you know we’re going to fly.” 

“ ’Gelic Being can’t fly.” 

’Cause you’ve got no wings yet ; bit 
I’ve made you some wings like what we 
saw in that book mother showed us, and 
we’re going to put them on, and then you 
and me’ll fly up — up — high into the air, 
like that man mother told us about, you 
know.” 

“ Yeth,” said the Angelic Being again. 

Well, come along, then. First of all 
we must put on our wings ; ” and she took 
his hand and led him into the secret bower 
where were the extraordinary objects which 
she had manufactured of brown-paper, 
string, and rose-branches, evidently a repro- 
duction — according to her ideas — of some 
flying apparatus, with reminiscences of a 
kite as framework. 

The Angelic Being looked at them and 
the thorns with evident disfavor. 



LUC Bi-mo 
C'=iriT fL/. 


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The Wings of a Dove 145 

Me not like ’em/* he said with decision. 

They’re beautiful, and you won’t mind 
them when they’re on. Look, ’Gelic Being ! ” 
and she slipped a pair over his head. 

There I isn’t that lovely ? Wouldn’t you 
like to fly to India, and see daddy and the 
sea and everything ? ” 

Yeth,” said the mite. 

“ Wery well, wait till I fasten them on 
tight ; and don’t wriggle like that or they’ll 
fall off. Birds don’t wriggle ; they go quite 
quietly.” 

This operation being completed, she put 
on her own wings, and the two issued from 
the secret bower, looking like nothing so 
much as a couple of highly decorated scare- 
crows. 

Nurse, who was sitting sewing in the 
garden, gave the two a glance from time 
to time, and seeing them, as she imagined, 
engaged in a harmless game, let them go by 
and continued her sewing, which she cer- 


That Little Limb 


146 

tainly would not have done if she had heard 
Gwennie's conversation. 

Gwennie turned and surveyed her little 
brother with satisfaction. 

You look ezackly like that man what 
died over a mountain/’ she assured him. 

Me not comfy/’ protested the little fel- 
low, hitching the wings over one shoulder. 

Never mind ; you’ll feel lovely when 
you begin to fly,” she assured him. Come 
along ; we must climb up a high tree.” 

Gwennie had made all her arrangements, 
and conducted her little brother to a high 
wall against which leaned the gardener’s 
short ladder. Up this flrst she and then 
the little boy, helped by her and much 
hampered by his so-called wings, mounted, 
and then crawled carefully along the wall 
until they reached a spreading elm-tree, 
which struck her as a desirable point for their 
flight. She chose a nice easy branch for 
the Angelic Being to begin his aerial career. 


The Wings of a Dove 147 

and stood on the wall to watch him as he 
put his foot out to step upon the branch. 
But, alas ! to the Angelic Being the green 
leaves were seemingly as substantial as thick 
trunks, and he trod airily upon a green 
mass, which immediately gave way under 
him and precipitated him some fourteen 
feet to the ground below. 

It was at this moment that nurse looked 
up to see that that limb was not leading 
her darling into any mischief With one 
piercing shriek, she dropped her work and 
ran to the spot where the Angelic Being 
lay screaming with fright and pain. 
Horror-stricken, little Gwennie, forgetful of 
the distance and of the proposed flight, 
jumped off the wall to his aid. 

She lay there for a minute stunned — a 
branch had broken her flight or she would 
have been more than stunned — but nobody 
took any notice of her. Nurse^s cries, added 
to those of the little boy, had brought out 


That Little Limb 


148 

the household, who were aghast at the 
sight of the little fellow, who was bleed- 
ing profusely from a cut on the head 
and various other slight scratches and 
cuts. 

Nurse carried him off in her arms, 
Gwennie following closely and saying 
softly, Poor ’Gelic Being ! does it hurt 
much ? 

Hurt much ! ” repeated nurse. ‘‘ Much 
you care about that, you little limb ! It^s 
a good beating you deserve, nearly killing 
your little brother ; and she dealt Gwennie 
a sharp blow on the back. 

The child uttered a low cry, but said no 
more and crept away. 

At this moment young Mr. Evans, who 
had heard the cries, came to offer his serv- 
ices, which were gladly accepted. 

Are you hurt, little one ? he said, 
glancing at Gwennie's pale face as she passed 
him. 


The Wings of a Dove 149 

The little girl set her mouth. Please 
Tend to ’Gelic Being/^ she said ; he’s 
nearly killed.” 

^‘He’s not so much hurt as frightened, 
Mrs. Sinclair,” the young man assured 
her. ‘‘If he were he would not cry so 
loud ; it is an excellent sign. I suspect the 
tree saved him.” 

A short time sufficed to wash and band- 
age the wounds, none of them very serious, 
of the little fellow ; and then, after a short 
conversation with the mother, George 
turned to see to Gwennie. But she had 
disappeared. 

“ She is afraid of being punished,” re- 
marked Mrs. Sinclair. 

“ May I go and look for her ? ” asked the 
young man. 

“ You spoil that naughty little girl of 
mine, Mr. Evans,” said Mrs. Sinclair, shak- 
ing her head. “ But as you are the only 
one who does, I do not suppose it matters. 


That Little Limb 


150 

I fancy sometimes the child must notice 
that her brother has more affection than 
she — (“ Sometimes/^ thought George) — 
she has such a wistful expression at times. 
But she is a most extraordinary child ; I 
really do not know what to do with her. 
I live in dread of her next escapade. It 
seems to me that it is not safe to leave her 
with her little brother.^’ 

Safe I I should think not. She ought 
to be sent to a reformatory ; and she would 
be if she were a poor child. Fancy drag- 
ging that poor little darling to the top of 
that tree and making him jump down/^ 
said Aunt Grace. 

George looked at Aunt Grace, and his 
mouth twitched as he observed the yellow 
curls and the pink cheeks ; but he was not 
happy about Gwennie, and making his 
escape, went to seek her. Knowing her 
ways, he had not much difficulty in finding 
her in her secret bower, whither she in- 


The Wings of a Dove 151 

variably fled when unhappy — and that, 
alas ! was pretty often. 

There she sat, her little face set, the pic- 
ture of misery, and the flying apparatus 
hanging limp and broken from her 
shoulders. 

The experienced eye of the young doctor 
noticed an unusual pallor on the little face. 
Very gently he disentangled and removed the 
wings, and questioned Gwennie as to the 
doings of the afternoon. 

Did you fall too ? he asked. 

No ; I jumped, 'cause I thought 'Gelic 
Being was killed. 'Gelic Being can't fly or 
do anything proper like that. Ah — h ! " 

The exclamation was called forth by a 
touch on her arm. George examined it, 
and found, as he suspected, that it was 
badly broken. Very tenderly he bound it 
up for the moment, and taking her in his 
arms, carried her fainting into the house. 

“ Here is the real sufferer, Mrs. Sinclair," 


152 


That Little Limb 


he remarked. I think you had better put 
her to bed and send for your doctor ; she 
has a compound fracture of the arm.^’ 

In great distress Mrs. Sinclair held out 
her arms to take Gwennie, but the latter 
clung to the young doctor. 

Please don^t touch me, anybody ; it does 
hurt so everywhere, and I can’t bear it ex- 
cept from him,” she said, her lips quiv- 
ering. 

So George carried her up-stairs to the 
nursery, where she lay for some time, to 
rest her little bruised body and be, as her 
much-tried relatives said, “ out of mischiefs 
way.” 


CHAPTER XI 

THE LAST STEAW 


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V 



CHAPTER XI 


THE LAST STRAW 

“ X O, Constance, it is of no avail to 
I try and defend that child to me,'* 

said the Canon, with much wrath, 
as he walked round the garden with his 
niece. He had been absent at the time of 
the accident, and had only now returned, to 
find the two children in bed and one of 
them seriously hurt. “ She is a most dan- 
gerous inmate of a house where there are 
children, and I insist upon her being sent 
away. In the absence of my nephew, as 
your guardian and that of your children, 
I feel it only right to protect you against 
your own weakness.” 

“ But the child did not mean to do any 
harm. She was only playing at being a 


That Little Limb 


156 

bird/^ (The Canon gave an impatient 
Pshaw ! It was really my fault. I 
had been showing the two children the pic- 
ture in an illustrated magazine of that won- 
derful new flying-machine which has just 
been invented, and Gwennie's vivid imagi- 
nation was fired with the desire to fly. I 
believe the anthem in the Cathedral had 
something to do with it.’^ 

“ The anthem ? queried the Canon, stop- 
ping in his walk and leaning on his stick. 

Yes ; it was that one about the wings of 
a dove.^^ 

Again the Canon pshawed. That child 
would And mischief in anything ; she has 
the most perverted conscience I ever met 
with. I begin at times to think that she is 
mentally deficient ; if not, she is deliberately 

malicious. Good Here the Canon 

paused ; he had arrived opposite his study 
window, and a scene of devastation met his 
eye. 


The Last Straw 157 

The Gloire de Dijon was a wreck. The 
half-severed branches were now faded, and 
others were torn from their holdings. 

“ Who— what he began. 

Mrs. Sinclair looked in dismay at the mu- 
tilated rose-tree. She remembered now that 
the unfortunate flying-machines had been 
composed of rose-branches, which had 
caused most of the Angelic Being's wounds, 
and immediately it flashed across her that 
little Gwennie was the culprit. 

I am afraid " she said hesitatingly. 

“Afraid? What of?" he asked as he 
gazed at his once cherished rose-tree. “ That 
the tree is ruined ? I am sure of it." 

“ I mean that I am afraid poor Gwennie 
cut it down for her wings." 

“ Gwennie ! " ejaculated the Canon, stupe- 
fled. “ She could not reach it ; she has not 
the strength." He looked at the tree, and 
then at the little footprints on the bed. 
“ If she has done it " Here he turned 


That Little Limb 


158 

his steps to the house, and, despite Mrs. 
Sinclair's entreaties, went up to Gwennie to 
question her. 

Gwennie opened two very languid eyes 
and looked half-dazed at the Canon’s angry 
face, on which the cross lines she disliked 
were so heavily marked, and said simply 
Yes ” to his question. She was too ill to 
excuse herself or to point out to the Canon 
that it had been intended as an opportunity 
for self-denial on his part ; which was per- 
haps just as well, for her uncle was in no 
mood to listen to such arguments. 

Not one atom touched by the white little 
face on the pillow, or the tired eyes, which 
in his blindness he took to be indifferent, he 
descended to his niece and said in a tone of 
suppressed wrath, She shall go.” 

Go where. Uncle John ? ” 

'' That we must decide ; but stay here she 
shall not, to be ruined by your indulgence, 
and to risk the life of her little brother, to 


The Last Straw 


159 

say nothing of destroying the comfort and 
peace of the entire household/^ 

Mrs. Sinclair left him and went up to the 
nursery, where Gwennie lay with closed 
eyes, round which were large black circles. 
She looked so deadly pale that the mother’s 
heart misgave her. She feared that some 
serious mischief was done. Presently a 
smile appeared round the little girl’s lips, 
and then a weak little peal of laughter 
startled her mother. 

“ Isn’t it funny. Prince ? ” she said. 

Here is I all ill and my bones broken, and 
’Gelic Being is quite all right and not really 
ill at all, and all the time nobody knew it, 
and they was all crying ’bout ’Gelic Being.” 
And she laughed again. 

At first Mrs. Sinclair thought the child 
was wandering ; but Gwennie, hearing a 
movement, opened her eyes, and seeing her 
mother, remarked : 

“ Is you there, mother ? I didn’t know, 


i6o That Little Limb 

so I was just talking to ’muse myself. Bit 
I’m not wery much ’mused, ’cause I’ve got 
sech a pain in my arm.” 

“ Poor little girlie ! But you ought not 
to be amused, because you have been very 
naughty. You have torn down Uncle 
John’s rose-tree and spoiled it, besides lead- 
ing little Leslie into mischief. He might 
have been killed, poor darling 1 ” 

“ Bit he isn’t. And it’s only me what’s 
really hurt, so nobody need mind. And 
I’m sorry ’bout Uncle John’s rose-tree if he 
really didn’t like to give it up.” 

Of course he did not like, Gwennie,” 
said her mother. “ He is very angry. You 
give everybody a great deal of trouble, and 
make me very unhappy.” 

“Things is very funny,” was all Gwen- 
nie’s reply ; and then she added, “ I would 
like to say good-night to Mr. Evans.” 

Mrs. Sinclair happened at the moment to 
glance out of the window by which she was 


The Last Straw i6i 

seated, and saw young Mr. Evans standing 
looking up at her. 

“ How is she ? he asked anxiously. 

Not very much amused, replied Mrs. 
Sinclair, smiling slightly. And she would 
like to say good-night to you, if you will be 
so good as to come in for a minute.’^ 

The young man disappeared, and shortly 
afterward was ushered into the nursery. 

“ It^s another thing what hasn’t been a 
success,” she said as she took his hand in 
her unhurt one and held it tight. 

No,” agreed George. If I were you I 
should stick to the earth.” 

And Uncle John doesn’t care ’bout self- 
denying himself ’cept in sermons,” she con- 
tinued, as her mother left the room. 

George cleared his throat, but said noth- 
ing. 

“ If I’d broked all my bones, should I be 
deaded ? ” 

“ You would indeed,” said he, wishing 


i62 That Little Limb 

to impress upon her the danger she had 
run. 

Then I shouldn’t have been any more 
trouble or made any one unhappy. Bit, 
you see, I can’t help being alive.” 

“ But I should be very unhappy, indeed, 
if you had been killed,” said the young 
man. What should I do without my 
Princess ? ” There was a suspicion of husk- 
iness in the young man’s voice, of which 
he would have been dreadfully ashamed if 
there had been any one to notice it. 

“ Would you really, in truth ? ” said Gwen- 
nie, brightening up. 

“ I should,” he averred. But now you 
must lie quite still, and not try to sit up 
or anything till nurse lets you to-morrow.” 

Thank you, Prince,” she said, giving a 
sigh of relief. Now I can go to sleep.” 

And her mother, returning, found her 
lying peacefully asleep in her little cot. 

** You have a wonderful way with chil- 


The Last Straw 163 

dren, Mr. Evans, she said to him afterward. 
“ Gwennie is not easy to understand.” 

On the contrary, children usually bore 
me except as patients. Your little girl is 
an exception which proves the rule.” 

And yet Gwennie is not generally a 
favorite ; she is not easy to understand, 
though you seem to have won her heart.” 

She is interesting as a case,” he replied, 
half-smiling, not choosing to acknowledge 
the depth of his affection for the tiny mite. 

^‘You do not think she is — peculiar?” 
asked the mother anxiously. 

I do not think you need be anxious. 
She is original, but when she begins to study 
she will become more normal. I should 
say school would have an excellent effect 
upon her, if it is the right kind of school.” 

Do you think so really ? ” said Mrs. 
Sinclair, brightening. I am so very glad 
to hear you say that, for my uncle has been 
speaking of it to-day. The destruction of 


164 That Little Limb 

his rose was the last straw/^ And she told 
the story of the Gloire de Dijon. 

George smiled. “ That’s what she meant 
by saying the Canon did not care for self- 
denial except in his sermons. I remember 
he had been impressing that lesson upon 
her apropos of a beloved doll he had given 
away, and no doubt this was a return com- 
pliment.” 

But it looks rather like spite,” observed 
Mrs. Sinclair doubtfully. 

“I do not believe there is an atom of 
spite in her composition. Her reasoning 
was quite logical from her point of view, if 
you come to think of it.” 

I am afraid I am unable to look at it 
from her point of view, then. It seems to 
me to be at best culpable thoughtlessness 
and a want of consideration for others, if 
nothing worse ; and I really think I shall be 
as relieved as any one when she goes to 
school.” 


The Last Straw 165 

“ You surely will not send her away from 
you ? cried George in surprise. 

My uncle will decide that/’ said Mrs. 
Sinclair. And the young man remembered 
that he was a comparative stranger and 
had no right to interfere in Gwennie’s fate, 
whatever it might be, and took his leave, 
muttering to himself as he went his usual 
reflection, Poor little beggar I ” 






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CHAPTER XII 


THE BANISHMENT OF THE PRINCESS 



CHAPTER XII 


THE BANISHMENT OF THE PRINCESS 

I T was some time before little Gwennie 
was able to get up, but not a day passed 
without some flowers and fruit arriving 
from that very intelligent young man next 
door,’’ whom even the Canon was beginning 
to appreciate for his work at the hospital at 
which the latter was a governor. 

It was during this time that Providence 
(in the shape of the morning postman), ac- 
cording to the Canon’s ideas, came to the 
assistance of little Gwennie’s relatives and 
settled the difficult question of her future 
abode. 

The means by which the Canon’s provi- 
dence acted was a school prospectus, of itself 
a very frequent announcement, and one 
which in general met with little attention. 


170 


That Little Limb 


But, as it happened, this prospectus was 
issued by two ladies, friends of the Canon — 
the very two who had once lunched at the 
Deanery and been objected to by the Angelic 
Being — and had his name in large letters 
heading the patrons of the school. 

It was quite a new venture, and was to be 
conducted in person by these two ladies, 
whom Gwennie had so unceremoniously 
called superfluous.” 

Constance,” exclaimed the Canon in 
ponderous tones as he looked up from the 
prospectus at his niece, it is Providence.” 

Mrs. Sinclair was acquainted with and 
liked the ladies in question as far as she 
knew them — which was very little — as two 
middle-aged maiden ladies. They had 
taken a house near the sea in a very healthy 
neighborhood, and so far had no pupils. 

It will be a kindness to send them 
Gwennie,” said the Canon ; and it will be 
a load off* my mind. Moreover, they know 


The Banishment of the Princess 171 

her, and will take her with their eyes open. 
I do not really think I could take it upon 
my conscience to send her to utter stran- 
gers.^’ 

Really, Uncle John, you are rather hard 
upon Gwennie,” protested the mother. 

She has been quite good the last few 
days.” 

Because she has been unable to be any- 
thing else,” remarked Aunt Grace, who cor- 
dially disliked her little niece. “ I’ll be 
bound she’ll be in some mischief before she 
has been up five minutes. I wonder if the 
Miss Bryants will have her. I would not 
if I were paid double fees.” 

But the Misses Bryant, fortunately or un- 
fortunately as it may be for Gwennie, were 
not so timorous, and expressed their will- 
ingness to take the little girl as soon as her 
mother liked to send her, especially as there 
would not be any other children to be led 
into mischief by her. 


That Little Limb 


172 

The Canon elected to tell her himself of 
their decision, and to give her at the same 
time a lecture on the subject of her conduct. 

You see now the result of your mali- 
cious conduct,” he said. 

‘‘ What^s mellishus conduct?” asked 
Gwennie, looking with big eyes at her 
grand-uncle. 

Malicious conduct is doing naughty, 
wicked things to annoy other people, like 
cutting down my rose-tree, and taking 
things out of shop windows — which is steal- 
ing — and leading your little brother into 
danger.” 

The Canon waited in expectation of some 
protest from Gwennie, but none came. She 
stood straight in front of him, such a little 
figure, with a face all eyes since her acci- 
dent, and one arm still in a sling, and 
looked at him in a way which the Canon, 
though he would sooner have died than ac- 
knowledge it, found most embarrassing. 


The Banishment of the Princess 173 

He felt himself growing irritated as he 
piled up the heap of her enormities, and 
still the small culprit stood and listened si- 
lently. 

See the difference between you and your 
little brother ! Everybody loves him and 
is glad to have him here, and we would not 
send him away to school on any account ; but 
nobody loves you or wants you, and every- 
body will be glad when you have gone, be- 
cause you are such a naughty little girl, 
and give so much trouble, and make people 
so unhappy that they can^t bear you.^^ 

I suppose I’m your cross, then ? ” said 
Gwennie. 

“ Yes, indeed, you are.” 

Then God sent me to you, and you are 
sending your cross away.” 

The Canon looked suspiciously at Gwen- 
nie. He understood the allusion perfectly 
well, and saw the trap into which he had 
fallen. He was fond of rehearsing his ser- 


174 


That Little Limb 


mon of the coming Sunday at breakfast- 
time. He experimented, so to speak, upon 
his family, and applied his discourse to 
them ; and he had not long before spoken of 
trials as being sent from God, and had im- 
pressed his niece Grace, who had just 
suffered a heavy pecuniary loss, that it was 
a cross and must be borne. He remembered 
the incident perfectly, and having pointed 
out the impiety of refusing to bear your 
cross. 

Gwennie^s question consequently proved 
rather a poser. He gazed helplessly at the 
little girl. 

^^That is a different thing, he said at 
last. 

I suppose you’ve only got to preach 
that,” said Gwennie. It’s the other people 
what have got to do it.” 

“ We are not discussing my conduct but 
yours,” said the Canon testily ; '' and I am 
explaining to you why we are obliged to 


The Banishment of the Princess 175 

send you away to school, where I hope you 
will try and be a good little girl.’^ 

With this the Canon dismissed her. 

The very first thing Gwennie did 
on leaving her uncle was to scramble 
on to the wall — no easy matter with her 
damaged arm — to impart to the Prince 
the news. 

Then you’ll be a banished princess,” 
said George, with assumed cheerfulness ; 
and I shall have to come and visit you.” 

I’m not a princess, I’m a cross ; that’s 
why I’m banished, ’cause Uncle John can’t 
bear his cross like other people.” 

Anyway you are my Princess. When 
the holidays come I shall put up a flag to 
welcome you home.” 

“ Will you really and truly? ” she asked. 

Yes, really and truly ; and I shall send 
you a hamper of fruit and goodies ; that’s 
what little girls always have at school.” 

Bit I shan’t have any one to give them 


Thai Little Limb 


176 

to, and it’s no fun having things if you 
can’t give them away.” 

But you will have other little girls to 
play with,” he said, to console her. 

She shook her head. “ It isn’t safe,” she 
declared, as if she were affirming a most 
natural fact — it isn’t safe for other little 
children to play with me, because I might 
hurt them.” 

Nonsense ! ” said George indignantly ; 
then bethinking himself of what he was 
saying, he remarked, “ You mean you get 
into mischief. But you are going to stop 
that now. You are going to be a real 
schoolgirl, and learn a great deal, and come 
back a clever young lady.” 

“ Bit you don’t like clever young ladies,” 
objected Gwennie, who had an uncomforta- 
ble knack of remembering people’s remarks. 

Never mind ; I shall like you. And 
now you must read what other people 
think, and leave off thinking yourself.” 


The Banishment of the Princess 177 

Do people stop thinking when they go 
to school ? ” inquired Gwennie innocently. 

Well/^ said George, rather posed, I 
don^t mean ordinary thinking ; I mean your 
kind of thinks.’^ 

It^s to the superfluous women what I’m 
to go,” she said after a pause. 

For goodness’ sake don’t call them that ! 
Promise me you won’t,” cried he, horrified 
at this title for Gwennie’s future schoolmis- 
tresses. Besides, they are not superfluous ; 
no one is who is of any use in this world.” 

^‘Then I’m superfluous, because no one 
wants me, Uncle John says.” 

Uncle John forgot me for one,” said 
George with decision ; I want my Prin- 
cess.” 

Gwennie did not brighten up as usual ; 
she seemed to have grown older suddenly. 

You don’t really want me,” she said, 
with a wisdom beyond her years. “ Bit 
you’re wery kind, and I won’t call any one 


That Little Limb 


178 

a superfluous woman, or anything like 
that ; bit I think it's a pity that everybody 
can’t be good and happy.” 

Are you going to take all your children 
with you?” said George, to make a diver- 
sion. 

Of course,” said Gwennie. I couldn’t 
leave them here to be starved like ’Gelic 
Being’s tortoise.” 

I should think sea-air would do Ange- 
lina good ; she looks pale,” he remarked, 
glancing at the doll in Gwennie’s arms, a 
waxen beauty whose pallor was the result 
of daily washings by her owner. 

Gwennie looked with indifferent eyes at 
the doll. “ It’s Seraphia,” she said. “ This 
air would have agreed with her if Aunt 
Grace would have lent me her cheek stuff, 
but she wouldn’t.” 

George tried again to rouse her, but in 
vain. He would have preferred to see her 
cry than to have her remain so passive — 


The Banishment of the Princess 179 

callous, most people would have called it, 
though the young doctor knew better. 

The iron had gone deep, and he could 
not heal the wound. Nobody really wanted 
her ; they had often said so before, but 
they had ended by forgiving her. Now it 
appeared that they really had had enough 
of her, for they were sending her away, 
and a load rested on the little heart which 
all the efforts of her kind friend could not 
lift from it. Neither then nor at the time of 
her departure did she break down, and she 
was stigmatized by all around as a hard- 
hearted little girl. Only young Mr. Evans 
knew better. 


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CHAPTEE XIII 


FAREWELL 




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CHAPTER XIII 


P' 


FAKEWELL 

|LEASE come here, Prince/^ 

Mr. Evans was digging at a re- 
fractory weed with his stick when the 
above remark reached his ears. He looked 
up from his toil, but no Gwennie was visible. 

“What^s the matter? Isn’t the chair 
there?” For Gwennie generally mounted 
by a chair. 

can’t get Numa Pompilius and Se- 
raphia and Angelina up with one hand. 
Please come and help me.” 

Oh, all right ! ” said the good natured 
young man, coming to the rescue at once. 

But what do you want to drag Numa 
Pompilius up on the wall for ? I have no 
particular desire to see the gentleman.” 


That Little Limb 


184 

Numa Pompilius was the successor of 
Julius Caesar, the defunct tortoise. 

Because I want you to take care of 
him, case he gets starved.” 

All right,” said George, as he vaulted 
over the wall, lifted Gwennie and her three 
pets to the top, and relieved her of the 
aforesaid Numa Pompilius. 

You must give him some cream on 
Wednesday, ’cause it’s his birthday.” 

Which Wednesday ? ” inquired George. 

Every Wednesday ; ’cause you gave 
him to me on a Wednesday, you see.” 

Won’t once a month do?” he ventured 
to suggest. 

No,” said Gwennie ; ’cause you 
don’t know how long he may live, 
and he hasn’t got anything to look 
forward to but his cream day, poor 
thing ! ” 

How do you know he looks forward to 
his cream?” demanded George. 


Farewell 185 

’Cause it’s all dranked up by the after- 
noon, and the milk isn’t.” 

Perhaps it’s the cat.” 

Oh I ” cried Gwennie, shocked, “ I don’t 
believe Minette would do sech a cheating 
thing. And here’s Angelina and Seraphia,” 
she added, holding out two most dilapidated 
dolls. 

What’s that for?” asked George, who 
trusted that he was not to be victimized to 
say farewell to all the family. 

For you to take care of,” she explained. 

What ! You are actually going to part 
with two of your children ? ” 

Gwennie’s eyes filled with tears, the first 
she had shed since her banishment had 
been decided upon. “ I wouldn’t do sech a 
thing,” she said, making an unconscious 
contrast to her own mother’s action, “ bit 
they won’t let me take them with me ; 
and they might throw them away if I left 
them at home. And besides, they will 


i86 That Little Limb 

be so lonely without any one to speak to 
now/’ 

George meekly held out his hands for 
the two unattractive-looking creatures. 
There was not anything which Gwennie 
could have asked of him just then which 
he would have found it in his heart to 
refuse her. 

What am I to say to them ? ” he asked. 
“ I’m not up in doll language. Do I in- 
quire after their health?” 

You must talk about me,” she told 
him. 

“ All right,” he agreed. “ Is there any- 
thing else you require? Because, if so, 
you had better mention it at once and let 
me get it over.” 

Gwennie considered for a moment. 

Perhaps you’d better have their old 
perambulator, so that you can take them 
for walks when it’s fine.” 

I think not,” said George ; they 


Farewell 


187 

might catch cold now that the winter is 
coming on. They shall sit on the window- 
sill when it is fine.^^ 

“ You will be sure and take them to 
bed with you, wonT you?^^ she asked. 
“And Numa Pompilius too?^^ 

“ I’m hanged — that is to say, I consider 
it very bad for children to be pampered like 
that. I’ll put them to sleep with my best 
silk handkerchiefs, and Numa Pompilius 
shall have a special box for himself in the 
greenhouse.” 

“ Oh, thank you. Prince,” cried Gwennie 
— “ thank you ! I feel a little happier 
now. And you will be sure to write and 
tell me how they all are. And now I 
must go and pack. Good-night, Prince.” 

“ Good-night, Princess.” And she disap- 
peared from view. 

“ I suppose Prince ” 

George looked up. “ Hello ! ” he in- 
quired, “ what is it now ? 


i88 


That Little Limb 


“ I suppose you wouldn^t like to have 
my bantam cock while I am away ? 

“Well, I don't think he’d get on very 
well with the gardeners,” he objected. 

“ Then I must leave him to cook ; she 
says she’ll give him a curly lettuce once 
a week to comfort him.” And she finally 
vanished from view, not to appear again 
until she came to say good-bye and give final 
directions to the long-suffering young doctor. 

“ You won’t forget Angelina’s necktie 
when she sits on the window-sill, will you 
— ’cause she’s delicate?” (Probably from 
a large gash in her throat.) “ And you’ll 
amuse Seraphia, because she’s not wery 
happy ; she can’t be always smiling like 
Angelina, since ’Gelic Being dropped her 
in the bath and took half her mouth off*. 
And she feels that nobody loves her, and 
it makes her sad.” 

“ All right,” said George, “ I’ll do my 
best, so don’t you worry about them. 


Farewell 


189 

You try and learn about Julius Csesar 
and Numa Pompilius in history, and you 
will find the days fiy/^ 

“ Yes,’^ she replied, without enthusiasm. 

Nurse says the days are getting shorter, 
bit I don^t think they are. It’s just the 
same time from breakfast to dinner and 
from dinner to tea, so I don’t see how 
nurse can be right ; bit she says she 
always is, so I suppose she must be.” 

“ Of course,” said George. ** And so you 
are really off to-day ? What time do you 
start ? ” 

<< Now — this minute,” she observed. 

Now ? ” said George. “ You don’t look 
much like it ; ” for she was sitting placidly 
on the wall, a large doll clasped in one 
hand and a picture-book in the other. 

“ There ! ” cried the voice of nurse. ‘‘ I 
might have known she’d be here. Now, 
Miss Gwennie, come along at once ; the 
cab’s been at the door ever so long, and 


That Little Limb 


190 

weVe been searching high and low for you. 
You’ll miss your train if you don’t make 
haste.” 

Good-bye, little one,” said George as he 
kissed her. 

Gwennie clasped him tightly round the 
neck with her little arms. Good-bye, dear 
Prince. I will write to you and Numa 
Pompilius and the others wery often, so 
that you won’t be dull ; and you can take 
them with you on your cigar walks.” 

** So I can,” said George, agreeing with a 
suggestion which he had no intention of 
carrying out. 

“ Good-bye, good-bye,” she said, and then 
nurse carried her reluctantly off. But for 
long the tight pressure of the little arms as 
the little limb ” clung round his neck 
when she was saying good-bye haunted the 
young man, and came to his mind when he 
heard the Canon and others speak of her 
hard-heartedness. 


CHAPTER XIV 


THE TOWEES 









CHAPTER XIV 


THE TOWERS 

T SUPPOSE now you’re going to be 

I quite happy, and not troubled any 
more,” said Gwennie to her mother, 
as the latter sat gazing with pensive eyes 
out of the window of the railway carriage 
in which the two, after a hurried drive to 
the station, found themselves. 

Mrs. Sinclair turned round to look at her 
little daughter. She was, at the minute, 
feeling very sore at the thought of parting 
with the child. As her eye fell upon 
Gwennie she felt a pang dart through her. 
It was such a tiny mite to be sent to school, 
and it seemed so ridiculous to think that 
she was being banished from home as a 
dangerous character. 


194 


That Little Limb 


My darling, don’t talk like that ! ’’ cried 
her mother, catching Gwennie in her arms 
and kissing her passionately, while the tears 
started to her eyes as she said, If you only 
knew how dreadfully sorry mother is to 
part from her little girl, and how she will 
miss her little Gwennie ! ” 

Gwennie clung for a moment to her 
mother, and then disengaged herself 

“ I ’pect it’s only on the top you’re sorry, 
or else you’d just take me home again,” 
she said, looking with solemn eyes at Mrs. 
Sinclair, who felt her own eyes fall before 
the grave, steady gaze of the big black ones 
that seemed to read her through somehow. 

You will be very happy at The Towers 
at Tarnworth,” she assured her. You will 
see the sea from your window, and all the 
big ships passing, and the steamers ; and you 
will have a lovely big garden to play in.” 

Do you think there will be a shipwreck 
soon ? ” asked Gwennie. 


The Towers 


J95 


** I hope not,” said Mrs. Sinclair, rather 
shocked. Why should you wish for such 
a thing ? Don’t you know that it means 
danger and perhaps death to the poor sailors 
on the ship? That was a very unkind 
thing to wish for.” 

I never wished for it ; I only wanted to 
go and save them from the wreck, and that 
is not a bit unkind.” 

forbid you ” Here Mrs. Sinclair 

stopped ; it seemed too absurb to forbid 
Gwennie to go and save people from wrecks, 
so she added, “ to go to the seashore without 
some grown-up person,” and mentally made 
a resolution to warn the Misses Bryant to 
keep strict guard over Gwennie. ** Remem- 
ber, Gwennie,” she continued severely, you 
are to be a good little girl, and not to get 
into mischief. I really never saw such a 
child ; there is no trusting you. I don’t 
know what the Miss Bryants will do with 
you, I’m sure ! ” 


196 That Little Limb 

I thought you was only sorry on the 
top/’ was Gwennie’s comment upon this 
speech. 

Mrs. Sinclair was glad when the journey 
came to an end and The Towers came in 
sight. 

“ Look, Gwennie ! there is The Towers 
— that tall white house.” 

Why, it has a tower like a enchanted 
castle 1 ” cried Gwennie, much interested. 

‘‘ Well, I am glad you are pleased,” said 
her mother. And there are the Miss 
Bryants, and a young girl with them. I 
wonder if she is another pupil ? Scarcely, 
I should think ; she is too old for 
school.” 

The Misses Bryant came forward and 
greeted Mrs. Sinclair and Gwennie, and 
introduced their companion as Miss Gwen- 
dolyn Grey, the daughter of another canon, 
whom Mrs. Sinclair knew slightly. 

Gwendolyn has kindly consented to 


The Towers 


197 


come and help us to take care of her little 
namesake/^ said Miss Bryant as they all left 
the station to walk up the steep hill to The 
Towers. “ Some unfortunate affection — mis- 
placed/^ said Miss Bryant in an undertone 
to Mrs. Sinclair as the elders fell behind — 
and her father was very glad to get her 
away from home for a time.^^ 

Are you banished too ? asked Gwennie 
as she walked on hand-in-hand with Miss 
Grey. 

Gwendolyn Grey flushed hotly. Who 
told you that? she asked hastily, and then 
correcting herself, added, “ What do you 
mean ? '' 

“ I thought p’r’aps, as you were so beauti- 
ful, you was a banished princess too.’^ Then 
Gwennie said, looking at her, “ I do wish I 
had golden hair like yours.’^ 

Miss Grey smiled down at the little girl 
as she pressed the little hand she was hold- 
ing. I^m very glad you have not ; you 


Thai Little Limb 


198 

would not look half so nice with golden 
hair and black eyes.*^ 

I suppose you couldn’t lend it to me 
sometimes ? ” 

“What! cut it off?” 

“ Doesn’t it come off of itself, like Aunt 
Grace’s?” 

“ I am afraid not ; ” and Miss Grey 
laughed to herself. 

“ That’s a pity,” said Gwennie gravely, 
“ ’cause I think p’r’aps you are kind and 
wouldn’t mind lending it to me, and my 
Prince likes golden hair better than black.” 

“ Your Prince? ” 

“ Yes,” said the mite. “ He’s only a 
young man by rights, bit he’s a Prince to 
me, and I’m going to marry him when I’m 
quite old, because his own princess wouldn’t 
marry him.” 

“ Dear me 1 how unkind 1 Why wouldn’t 
she marry the Prince ? ” 

“ Because she’s a grand lady above him,” 


The Towers 


199 

replied Gwennie, who had heard the matter 
discussed by nurse and her friends. “ I 
suppose she^s a real princess, or a duchess, 
or somebody like that, and he’s only a 
medical young man.” 

A medical man ! ” said Miss Grey in a 
strained voice. “ What is his name? ” 

His proper name is Mr. George Evans, 
bit I call him my Prince because I am going 
to marry him.” 

Indeed ? ” said Miss Grey. “ So he has 
forgotten the other prnicess? ” 

No, he hasn’t ezackly forgotten her ; bit 
of course she’s a wicked princess to go and 
forsake him, so he’s trying to forget her and 
like me instead. Only sometimes he re- 
members her, and then he’s sad and he 
comes and talks to me. He’ll be sadder 
now that he’s only got two of my children 
to talk to. Bit I’m going to write to him, 
only I don’t know ezackly how to write ; bit 
will you help me ? ” 


200 That Little Limb 

Yes, dear, I will help you,'' said Miss 
Grey softly. 

“ The other princess's name was Gwen- 
dolyn too. Prince thinks it's a lovely 
name." 

Yes ? " said Miss Grey. 

Bit he says I wouldn't ever be horwid 
like her, he thinks." 

‘‘He said that?" asked Miss Grey. 

“ Said what? " asked Gwennie. 

“ Said that the other princess was hor- 
rid." 

“ No, he didn't say horwid, bit I say hor- 
wid. He said I would never forsake him 
because he was not grand." 

“ You don't understand these things, little 
one," said Miss Grey. 

“ That's just ezackly what the Prince 
said," remarked Gwennie, astonished at the 
coincidence, “ when I said she was horwid. 
You would never do such a thing either, 
would you ? " 


The Towers 


201 


Look, Gwennie I there is a white Persian 
cat for you to play with,'' said Miss Grey. 

Gwennie gave a cry of delight and ran 
after the cat, with whom she was soon great 
friends. 

Miss Grey turned back to join the elder 
ladies, who were just entering the gates. 

“You seem to get on with my little girl," 
said Mrs. Sinclair, looking gratefully at Miss 
Grey. “ I shall be so glad if you do. She 
is such a very odd child ! She does and says 
such extraordinary things ; nobody seems to 
understand her — except, by-the-bye, a friend 
of ours, a young doctor who lives next door 
and is quite devoted to her." 

“ I thought you had such obnoxious neigh- 
bors," remarked Miss Byrant. 

“ Well, the father is not quite a gentle- 
man, but this young fellow is, and a univer- 
sal favorite. He is making quite a name 
for himself, and will probably be one of our 
first surgeons one day. My uncle thinks 


202 


That Little Limb 


very highly of him. So does Gwennie/’ 
she added, smiling. They have long con- 
versations over the wall of our garden, 
which seem to have no sense as far as any- 
body can see.’^ 

She has been telling me about her 
Prince, as she calls him,’^ replied Miss Grey. 

Yes ; as I said, he is the only one who 
can understand her, and he assures me 
that she will become normal when she be- 
gins lessons, so I hope great things from her 
stay here.^^ 

I love her already,” said Miss Grey, 
with a warmth which surprised and relieved 
all her hearers. 


CHAPTER XV 


THE PEINCESS’S COBEE8PONDENCE 



CHAPTER XV 


THE PKINCESS’S CORRESPONDENCE 

** 1^ Y the way, mother, I shall want a 
I j cup of cream ordered about once a 
week,^’ said young Mr. Evans one 
morning shortly after Gwennie’s departure. 

Why, my dear, you can have as much 
cream as you like every day,” said his 
mother in surprise. There^s a good cupful 
here now,” she added, looking into the 
cream-jug. 

Well, let me have it, then ; ” and he 
held out his hand for the cream. 

His mother began to pour it into a cup 
for him, but he stopped her. 

Don^t do that ; it is not for myself 
— it is for a gentleman named Numa 
Pompilius.” 


2 o 6 That Little Limb 

A gentleman ! ” exclaimed his mother. 

Now, what do you mean, George ? I 
never can understand half you say. Why 
can’t the gentleman buy his own cream? 
Is he in poor circumstances ? ” 

“ He is not in circumstances to buy 
cream or anything else, or to ask for it, 
as far as that goes ; as a matter of fact 
he’s a tortoise.” 

Well, I never ! ” exclaimed Mrs. Evans, 
with more warmth than elegance. It’s 
something to do with that little limb 
next door. I’ll be bound ! The idea of 
giving cream to a tortoise ! A wicked 
waste I call it — I do indeed.” 

That is why I offer to have it ordered 
in at my expense. Have cream that tor- 
toise must, or it might pine away and die ; 
and I wouldn’t face that little mite with 
the news that her beloved creature was 
dead for a fortune.” 

You’re quite daft about that child, 


The Princess's Correspondence 207 

George, as I’ve told you before ; and 
why I can’t make out.” 

He only smiled at her as he replied, 
She’s going to be a very fine character, 
as you will find one day ; and you had 
better make up your mind to like her, as 
she has made up her mind to be my wife.” 

Don’t talk such nonsense, George ! ” 
cried his mother. “ I hope to see you 
married long before that little limb is 
grown up. Is it — George, is it all over 

between you and Miss Gwen ” 

“ Oh, dear, yes I ” said George impa- 
tiently. She would never demean herself 
by marrying a tradesman’s son.” 

“ Tradesman, George ! ” exclaimed his 
mother indignantly. You talk as if your 
father had a shop, instead of the largest 
ironworks about.” 

Shop or ironworks, it’s all the same 
to her. And I don’t blame her ; it’s the 
way she was brought up ; only her little 


2o8 That Little Limb 

namesake would never chuck me for that. 
Now let^s drop the subject, please ; it’s a 
sore one. Besides ” — lightly — I must be 
loyal to my new love,” he wound up, 
laughing, as he went off with the much- 
begrudged cream for the tortoise. 

‘‘ Now, Mr. George, whatever be you 
a-thinkin’ about,” objected James, the 
head gardener, a-givin’ of your ma’s 
best cream to that there beggarly tortis ? ” 

I’m thinking of a banished Princess,” 
replied the young man. 

Eh ? ” said the man, scratching his 
head. Well, that there beast won’t eat 
that cream noways. And you’ll ’tract all 
the cats of the neighborhood into this yere 
garden.” 

You’d better set some traps for them, 
then,” said George as he emptied the cream 
into a saucer and put Numa Pompilius’s 
head into it. Now, Numa Pompilius, 
fire away,” he exhorted the tortoise. 


The Princesses Correspondence 209 

But Numa Pompilius declined to fire 
away ’’ in the sense desired, but wriggled 
himself off, and left the cream to the cats, 
who, as Thomas had prophesied, came 
quarreling and snarling over the unusual 
dainty. 

“ George, here's a letter for you," said 
his mother the next morning at breakfast. 

From the banished Princess," he said, 
smiling. ‘‘ I wonder what she has to say, 
poor little thing ! I hope she is not very 
unhappy with those two— women." And 
he opened his letter and read : 

My dear Prince, — I hope you and 
Numa Pompilius and Angelina and Sera- 
phia are all well and happy. Please give 
him a cabbage leaf, as a change, with my love. 
There's a golden-haired princess here what’s 
printing this letter. And , it doesn't come 
off, nor does the red on her cheeks, 'cause 
I put my finger in my mouth and then 
rubbed it on her face to see ; and she says 
that's disgusting and I’m not to do it any 
more, so of course I won't, as I don't want 


210 


That Little Limb 


to, now I know it’s real. I like her very 
much. Her name’s Gwennie too, only she’s 
not like that other princess what forsook 
you ; she’d never do such a thing, I should 
think. She says how do I know. Bit of 
course you can’t like her now, as you’ve 
got me. 

‘‘ Dear Prince, I miss you very much, and 
the tortoise very much. I am learning to 
be a very clever girl. Miss Bryant taught 
me about sea-water being heavy, and that’s 
why boats float on it. But it was a story, 
because I threw her gold watch into the sea 
and it didn’t go on top, and now she’s most 
annoyed indeed ; and even if mother sends her 
another, it’ll never be the same, because her 
father gave her that one. So she shouldn’t 
have told stories — well, anyway, I call it a 
story, only the Princess says it was not. 

“ The gardener here isn’t a bit a good 
gardener ; he puts in his plants with all 
their hair dirty, and when I dug them up 
and washed them all beautifully clean and 
white, he was most awfully angry, and 
didn’t care a bit for their beautiful white 
hair. He says it’s roots, and roots aren’t to 
be washed. So it’s no use trying to help 
him. And I’m very tired of reading about 
the dog what bit the cat ; and it’s all about 


The Princesses Correspondence 211 

a dog and a cat, and they’re the stupidest 
dog and cat stories I ever read, and I’m 
tired of being a clever girl at school ; I’d 
rather be your little Princess, Gwennie. 

‘‘ P. S. — Please, Prince, don’t forget the 
children’s walk every day, and give them 
my love, and say I hope they’re good and 
don’t miss me too much. Good-bye, Prince. 
Please write at once directly and answer 
this.” 

After the Prince read this letter he fell 
into a brown study. Then he took up the 
letter, looked intently at the printed char- 
acters, and then at the address. Finally he 
smiled to himself. 

“ It is,” he said enigmatically ; and he 
took the letter, folded it up very carefully, 
and placed it in a pocketbook with the 
portrait of a golden-haired girl. 

For a half hour he paced to and fro along 
the garden wall, apparently absorbed in his 
own thoughts. Then he went into the 
house to write his answer to Gwennie : 


212 


That Little Limb 


My dear Banished Princess, — Numa 
Pompilius is very well, thank you. He 
sends his love. He also begs to inform you 
that he does not care for cream. The 
children enjoy fairly good health, and find 
the air of my collar and handkerchief 
drawer so invigorating — probably owing to 
the camphor with which it is impreg- 
nated — that they very seldom care to come 
out for an airing. 

Please thank the golden-haired Prin- 
cess, whose hair and cheeks are real, for 
printing that wonderfully long letter, and 
tell her that she must not blame my own 
Princess, for I have quite forgiven her for 
feeling I was far below her. 

But you must try to grow up a sensible 
girl, and believe with Bobbie Burns that 
‘ the rank is but the guinea stamp, the man’s 
the gold for a’ that,’ and then you will never 
make any man unhappy. 

I am sorry your lessons have so far 
only taught you to throw gold watches into 
the sea ; however, a little knowledge is 
always dangerous, so let us hope you will 
learn wisdom in time. 

Angelina says she would know better 
than to do that. It’s sad when a daughter is 
wiser than her mother. I think Seraphia 


The Princesses Correspondence 213 

even was shocked, but one cannot be quite 
sure, owing to the absence of part of her 
mouth, and her nose being so flattened, 
which causes her speech to be somewhat 
indistinct. 

“ I have no further news, so will say 
good-bye to my dear little Princess, and re- 
main her faithful Prince, 

Geokge Evans.’’ 












CHAPTER XVI 

A MIDNIGHT OEGT 







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CHAPTER XVI 


A MIDNIGHT OKGY 

I N the schoolroom of The Towers sat 
the two Gwendolyns side by side, both 
poring over a spelling and reading 
book. 

'' ' The dog bit the cat,' " read the black- 
haired little Gwennie glibly. “ I don’t be- 
lieve it ; it's a wicked story." 

Why not?" asked the golden-haired 
girl. ‘^You must not say the book tells 
stories ; it's a very good book." 

'Cause he doesn't look a bit angry ; and 
he isn’t even looking at the cat. And 
'nother thing, why didn't she run away, or 
scratch him, 'stead of sitting there quite 
quietly ? " 

‘‘ Perhaps it’s not this dog ; it may be 
another dog," replied Miss Grey patiently. 


218 


That Little Limb 


Then why don’t they say another dog 
bit another cat ? ” 

Never mind ; go on reading. What is 
that letter ? ” pointing to a d.” 

I don’t know. Do you think Prince 
has got that letter by now ? ” 

** I don’t know, I’m sure. Go on read- 
ing ; that’s a ^ d.’ ” 

** You mustn’t say that ; it’s wicked 1 ” 

‘‘Wicked? What nonsense! Why is it 
wicked ? ” 

Gwennie nodded her head sagely. “ It 
is. I once said, ‘ I don’t care a “ d ” ; ’ and 
Prince said, ‘ For goodness’ sake, where did 
you hear that? Never say it again.’ ” 

“ That’s quite different,” said Miss Grey ; 
“ this is a letter.” 

“ Well, so was mine a letter.” 

“ Never mind ; go on reading. D-o, do.” 

“ D-o, du 1 You said d-u was du.” 

“ Never mind that ; say d-o, du, now.’ 

A sigh from Gwennie. “ I wish it was 


A Midnight Orgy 2ig 

time to stop lessons. Don’t you think I’m 
clever enough for this morning? ” 

“ No, I do not. You must read this first : 
d-o, do ; g-o go.” 

Gu,” corrected Gwennie. 

No ; g-o, go. The words are not pro- 
nounced as they are spelled.” 

“Why not?” 

“ I don’t know.” 

“ I think you don’t know wery much,” 
said little Gwennie. Then after a pause : 
“ Are there many words in the world ? ” 

“ Yes, thousands and hundreds of thou- 
sands.” 

“ Then I’ll never be able to know all of 
them.” 

“ No, never — nor half of them.” 

Gwennie shut her book with an obstinate 
expression on her face. “ Then I won’t 
learn to read any more, thank you, ’cause I 
should be dead before I learned half And 
mother said she didn’t want me to learn 


220 That Little Limb 

anything half; she said I was to learn 
properly/^ 

Miss Grey ceased to argue the point with 
her. 

Well, let us do some writing, and then 
you shall go out and play. Here is your 
copy-book. Do that row of pot-hooks.^^ 

“ What^s a pot-hook ? asked Gwennie, 
struggling with her pen, which she was 
holding by a rule of her own, and not ac- 
cording to any which would be sanctioned 
by an educational board. 

A hook to hang a pot on.^^ 

What kind of a pot ? A flower-pot ? 

“ Yes, if you like.” 

Gwennie surveyed the row of pot-hooks. 
Then she said, That^s another wicked story, 
^cause a flower-pot couldnT hang on them — 
not even a weeny, weeny one like my fern 
is in.” 

Gwennie, you must not talk to 
me like that. Never mind whether they 


A Midnight Orgy 221 

are pot-hooks or not ; you must copy 
them.” 

“ Bit was it true ? ” 

No ; it was a mistake. Now, go on 
writing.” 

“ Please, I^d rather not write in a book 
what tells stories.” 

But I would rather you would.” 

Oh, Golden Hair,” cried Gwennie in 
shocked tones and with wide-open eyes — 
oh, how can you? ” 

I did not mean that,” exclaimed Miss 

Grey. “I meant Never mind what 

I meant ; do that line of pot — copy — 
and you may go and play with your 
dolls.” 

“ Children,” corrected Gwennie as she 
laboriously set to work on the misnamed 
copy, her scruples being calmed by the 
thought of a speedy release. 

“ Oh, Gwennie, how badly you have 
written your copy I ” 


222 


That Little Limb 


Well, they're story-telling things, so 
course I couldn't do them well," said 
Gwennie, regarding her copy with in- 
difference. 

Miss Grey put away the copy-book, and 
turning to Gwennie, caught the child up in 
her arms. Come along, you little elf ; 
my yellow hair will soon be quite gray 
if you go on like this." 

Like what?" said Gwennie, her arms 
clasped tightly round her namesake’s neck. 

Never mind," said Miss Grey for the 
hundredth time ; “ life is too short to argue 
with you. Where are the dolls — I beg 
their pardon, children ? " 

And the two went off contentedly to 
play at dolls. As each individual doll 
required the same attention as a real 
child, and had to be washed, dressed, and 
fed, and as their names were legion, the 
dinner-bell rang before the numerous 
toilets were accomplished. 


A Midnight Orgy 223 

There, Gwennie, we must leave Alma 
and Dodo and Tommy till this afternoon. 
They will be quite comfortable on this 
seat; and you can give Tommy a news- 
paper to read aloud to the others, and 
then they will not find time hang heavy 
on their hands,^' said Miss Grey, as the 
bell rang. 

Is it interesting ? asked Gwennie 
anxiously, looking doubtfully at the news- 
paper. 

Yes, very. Now come along ; and 
she dragged Gwennie very reluctantly 
away from her darlings. 

As luck would have it, they all went 
out for a sail after lunch, and Gwennie 
was put to bed immediately after a late 
tea, so that the poor dolls were left 
hungry for that day. 

“ I feel thankful when she says good- 
night,^^ said Miss Bryant to her sister, 
with a half-groan. It is the only place 


That Little Limb 




224 

where she is out of mischief. I some- 
times wonder, Alicia, whether it is worth 
while having her, even at the high rate 
Mrs. Sinclair pays. She is a dreadfully 
mischievous child. I do not really 
think she is quite — quite like other chil- 
dren.^^ 

That she certainly is not,” said Miss 
Alicia. But Miss Bryant had meant some- 
thing much more serious than that, and 
said so. 

** She is original, but I do not for 
a moment believe that she is mentally 
deficient,” said Miss Grey. “ She is a 
most affectionate child, and I believe if 
she were understood and loved she would 
be quite different.” 

‘‘ She has a good chance here with 
you, then,” said Miss Bryant. “ For you 
seem able to understand her, and you 
certainly love her.” 

'' Yes, I certainly do love her,” said 


A Midnight Orgy 225 

Miss Grey, smiling ; “ though I do not 
love her lessons/^ 

** I cannot honestly say that I do love 
her. She has no heart, said Miss Alicia. 

** No heart ! cried Miss Grey. “ You 
would not have said so if you had seen 
her sobbing her heart out because Tom, 
the father of one of her dolls, was un- 
kind to his little daughter. She kissed 
and comforted the doll in a most motherly 
way.^^ 

Very extraordinary,^^ said Miss Bryant 
unsympathetically. She did not cry when 
I told her she had spoiled five pounds^ worth 
of bulbs, and we should have no pretty 
garden next year. Simpson threatens to 
give notice if she interferes and does any 
more damage in his gardens. He does not 
like her. He calls her a little limb.^^ 

“ That name seems to follow her. I think 
it^s a case of giving a dog a bad name and 
hanging him.^’ 


226 That Little Limb 

Then the two elder ladies drew their 
chairs together to the table to indulge in 
their evening game of cribbage, which 
lasted until bedtime. 

And Gwendolyn Grey sat and worked or 
dreamed, making a pretty picture as she sat 
and gazed into the fire, letting her work 
fall on her lap at times, the better to dream. 

Punctually at ten the trio retired to their 
respective rooms. 

It was very quiet at The Towers. No 
sound but the distant breaking of the waves 
against the cliffs disturbed the silence of the 
night. The villagers were earlier in their 
habits than the inmates of The Towers. 
Except for an occasional fisherman late 
home from fishing, not a footstep resounded 
down the village street. 

To-night the entire household at The 
Towers slept the sleep of the just, when 
crash ! and the sound of breaking glass, 
another thud, and again the sound of a 


A Midnight Orgy 227 

hastily slammed door, was heard, and every 
woman of them was awake and with every 
hair on her head bristling with horror. 

That the noises issued from within the 
house was evident, and apparently from 
the back premises — presumably from the 
kitchen, the easiest point, as it happened, by 
which to enter the house. 

The sisters, whose rooms communicated, 
were together in a minute, and were speed- 
ily joined by Miss Grey, who boldly sug- 
gested a descent to the lower regions to in- 
vestigate the matter and, if need be, capture 
the burglars. 

The Misses Bryant screamed in concert at 
the notion, and commenced with renewed 
shrieks to barricade the door, when knocks 
and cries were heard outside. 

Please, mem, it^s only me and cook. 
And please, mem, for mercy’s sake let us in. 
They’re coming up the stairs.” 

Miss Bryant threw open the door and let 


228 


That Little Limb 


the two frightened domestics in. Then 
summoning to her aid all her courage, she 
said with great solemnity, “ Alicia, I must 
protect my household.’^ She took from the 
corner where it had stood for years, ready 
for such an emergency, an old blunderbuss, 
and thus armed, she peered through a tiny 
chink of the door. 

They’re coming,” she whispered as some- 
thing white appeared along the passage. 
Then she pushed the blunderbuss through 
the half-open door, shut her eyes, and pulled 
the trigger. 

There was a flash, an explosion. Miss 
Bryant fell back into the room, knocked 
down by the recoil of the gun, and from the 
passage came the piercing scream of a child 
in agony. 


CHAPTER XVII 

THE PEINOESS’S EENUNCIATION 



CHAPTER XVII 


THE PKINCESS'S KENUNCIATION 

W HEN Miss Grey heard that cry, 
with an echoing cry she brushed 
the frightened, whimpering 
women aside and rushed into the passage 
with a candle. 

Don^t go out there ; you’ll be mur- 
dered ! ” they shrieked after her. But she 
took no notice. 

There on the floor, as she had feared, lay 
little Gwennie, still clasping her three dolls 
in her arms, and her little night-dress 
stained with crimson. Miss Grey uttered a 
cry of horror. 

“ My darling — oh, my poor little dar- 
ling ! ” she cried. 

The frightened group in the Misses 
Bryant’s room heard and wondered. 


232 


That Little Limb 


'' It's that little " They stopped and 

listened, and then, hearing no sound, con- 
cluded that the burglar or burglars had 
been frightened away, and ventured cau- 
tiously forth. 

There lay poor little Gwennie, shot 
through the leg. At the sound of the lam- 
entations round her she opened her eyes, 
and said very faintly but distinctly : 

‘‘ You've shotted me dead, so you're all 
murderers ; bit I hope they won't hang you 
all. Good-bye ; " and she fainted away. 

Miss Bryant uttered a shriek and 
promptly followed Gwennie's example. 
Miss Grey meanwhile, having studied first 
aid to the wounded, bandaged Gwennie's 
wound as well as she could, and stanched 
the blood. 

Simpson the gardener, who had heard 
the discharge of the weapon and the shrieks 
of the women, now arrived from his cottage 
to know the reason of the disturbance. 


The Princess' s Renunciation 233 

He was immediately sent for the doctor. 

I knew that child would be the death 
of some one, Alicia, said Miss Bryant tear- 
fully, having recovered from her faint, 
when the two sat in the hall waiting for 
the doctor. I wish we had never taken 
her.^^ 

So far the poor child seemed likely to be 
her own death, but it was not of her the 
sisters were thinking so much as the conse- 
quences to themselves. The extreme pen- 
alty of the law they did not for a moment 
fear, even if the worst happened, which 
they hoped was not likely ; but there was 
no denying that there would probably be 
an inquiry — they thought it more than 
likely — and the two prim maiden ladies 
dreaded the prospect of publicity. 

I never thought that old thing could 
shoot anything, said Miss Alicia. “ Oh, 
sister, think if you had shot higher up ! ” 

“ But I did not,’^ said Miss Bryant 


234 


That Little Limb 


sharply, Naughty child ! what was she 
doing down-stairs at all ? 

It was not until after the doctor had 
come, and had stated the wound to be 
serious but not dangerous, and had helped 
to investigate the premises, that it was dis- 
covered that no burglar had entered from 
without. In the larder a valuable crystal 
dish in which a trifle had been left was 
found smashed ; beside it lay a large box, 
which had somehow been dislodged, and 
had probably occasioned the second crash ; 
while several plates and broken bits of 
crockery, including cook’s best china cream- 
jug, accounted for the sound of broken 
glass. 

With one consent the cat was blamed, 
and the household retired to take what 
repose their shattered nerves would allow 
them, with the exception of Miss Gre}^^, who 
kept watch by little Gwennie as she tossed 
in feverish slumbers. 


The Princesses Renunciation 235 

Presently the little girl muttered, What 
for did you shoot me ? I didn’t mean to 
break all those plates. It was for Tommy 
and Alma ; they was hungry ; they wanted 
pudding. Pm glad I’m deaded, if they’re 
going to shoot me like that, all hot and 
hurting ; ” and she moved restlessly. 

Miss Grey gave her the composing 
draught and she slept again, leaving her 
nurse to think over her words. As she 
pondered it became clear to her. Gwennie 
must have been the burglar ! Next morn- 
ing, when a little table was found laid with 
a dolls’ table-cloth on which a dolls’ feast 
was set out, the mystery was made clear. 
Gwennie and her dolls had been having a 
midnight orgy of the best in the Misses 
Bryant’s larder. The feelings of the two 
aforesaid ladies may be better imagined 
than described. 

One thing is certain,” said the elder 
sister ; that child must go home.” 


236 That Little Limb 

As soon as she can travel/^ corrected the 
younger. 

“ Of course/^ said the elder irritably ; “ I 
am not inhuman. But she is getting on my 
nerves ; and she is progressing excellently, 
the doctor says. Now, as soon as Mrs. Sin- 
clair arrives — which she ought to do to- 
night at latest — we must be firm, and gently 
but decidedly inform her that we can no 
longer be responsible for her daughter ; she 
is too dangerous an inmate of our house.^’ 
Yes, dear,’^ murmured the younger sister. 

Meanwhile the dangerous inmate lay on 
her bed of suffering, watching with keen, 
wistful eyes every movement of her young 
nurse. 

When the post came a letter was brought 
in to Miss Grey, who flushed all over her 
pretty face, and then paled as she handed 
it to Gwennie. 

It was young Mr. Evans’s answer to 
Gwennie. 


The Princesses Renunciation 237 

“What for did you get all pinky like 
that ? ” she demanded as she clasped the 
letter in both hands. “Was you angry ? ” 

“ No, dear. Will you read it ? ” 

“ Yes — of course,” said Gwennie, opening 
it and looking wisely at it — as it happened, 
upside down ; which, however, made no 
difference to her, seeing that she could not 
read a word of it either way up. 

“ What does he say. Golden Hair ? ” she 
asked at last, holding out the letter to 
Miss Grey. 

Miss Grey took the letter and read it, 
smiling until she came to the message 
about the other princess, when her voice 
faltered, and suddenly she covered her face 
with her hands and burst into tears. 

Gwennie regarded her with consternation. 
“ Poor Golden Hair, is you ill ? ” she asked 
anxiously. Miss Grey shook her head. 

Little Gwennie lifted her head for a 
second, and then a suspicion of the truth 


That Little Limb 


238 

dawned upon her, and the queer child 
turned her head away for a minute. She’s 
the other golden-haired princess, and she 
liked him too — and — and ” — here she gave 
a half-sob — “ and he won’t like me any 
more,” she thought to herself. 

There was silence for a time. When 
Miss Grey next spoke Gwennie would not 
answer. 

“ Gwennie darling, answer me.” 

What for did you forsake your prince ? ” 
she demanded, to the surprise of the other. 

Miss Grey hesitated, and then replied. 

Because I was a foolish, unkind girl.” 

And you isn’t a princess or anybody 
grand at all! You’re just a girl like me.” 

Yes,” admitted Miss Grey meekly. 

But now you must take this medicine 
and lie quite quiet.” 

Gwennie did as she was told and fell fast 
asleep, to awake only at the touch of her 
mother’s kiss. 






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The Princesses Renunciation 239 

The next day Gwennie was pronounced 
to be wonderfully better. 

Mother, will you please write a letter 
to Mr. George Evans for me?’' she asked 
of Mrs. Sinclair. 

“ Yes, my dear — certainly,” said her 
mother. He was so sorry about you ; he 
wanted to come with me to see you. Shall 
I tell him to come ? ” 

Write ^ Dear ’ ” — she paused — “ * Mr. 
George Evans, your golden-haired princess 
is here, and she cried ’cause of your letter, 
and she says she went away ’cause she was 
a silly, unkind girl.’ ” (“ My dear ! ” ex- 

postulated Mrs. Sinclair.) “ Well, she did 
say it,” insisted Gwennie, and her mother 
let it pass. ^ And she’s not any grander 
than you, so you can come and marry her 
instead of me — ’cause people only want to 
get rid of me, and shoot me, and all that. 
So it’s no good marrying me. Please, 
Prince, you are not my prince any more ; 


240 


That Little Limb 


bit please come and mend my leg up at 
once, ’cause I’m wery tired of being in bed 
and having thinks. Good-bye. — Gwennie. ’ 
’At’s all, mother,” she said, with a little 
sigh, as she shut her eyes and slept again; 
but her eyelashes were wet when her 
mother bent over and kissed her. 

And so was accomplished the Princess’s 
great renunciation. 


CHAPTER XVIII 


AN ANGEL AT LAST 



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CHAPTER XVIII 


AN ANGEL AT LAST 


M rs. SINCLAIR added in a short 
postscript : ‘‘ I think Gwennie 

gives very good advice, and if you 
can find time amid your other cases, please 
come and see my little one. She is pro- 
gressing very favorably, but she is very 
fractious and difficult, and I want to move 
the poor darling home as soon as possible, 
never to leave me until the right prince 
arrives.^^ 

Meanwhile little Gwennie was, as has 
been said, very fractious, and to Miss Grey 
especially she was most trying and captious, 
one minute all smiles and the next all 
frowns. 

Don’t you love me any more, Gwennie? 


244 'That Little Limb 

asked Miss Grey one afternoon when 
Gwennie had repulsed her and refused her 
caress. 

“ Not this minute/’ said the little girl. 

Why, what have I done to vex you ? ” 

“ Nothing,” she said very shortly ; then 
she added in a queer little voice, “ Bit you 
can kiss me if you want to wery much.” 

And the two embraced and were friends 
for a time. 

“ Gwennie is learning one of life’s les- 
sons,” said her mother, and it may do 
her good.” 

Miss Grey made no reply, but she re- 
doubled, if possible, her attentions to the 
little invalid, and was indefatigable in her 
efforts to entertain and relieve the mo- 
notony of her convalescence. 

As for the Misses Bryant, after the first 
visit, at which Gwennie had asked them 
with wide-open eyes “ why they were not 
in prison, and whether they did not think 


An Angel at Last 245 

it wery unkind to go and shoot people 
when you don’t like them,” they had con- 
tented themselves with making polite 
inquiries, and had studiously avoided the 
sickroom “ where that dreadful child was.” 

Gwennie could not for a long time be 
persuaded that the Misses Bryant had not 
deliberately tried to shoot her for breaking 
their china. 

“ You must not say such a thing, 
Gwennie,” Mrs. Sinclair said, much 
shocked ; it is very wicked.” 

Seems as if everybody’s wery wicked,” 
commented Gwennie. 

Oh, no, they are not. It was all a 
mistake. The Miss Bryants thought you 
were safe in your bed, where you ought to 
have been, and that it was a wicked burglar 
coming up-stairs, and so they shot off that 
gun because they were afraid he would kill 
them.” 

Gwennie gave a little peal of laughter. 


That Little Limb 


246 

How ^musing ! Fancy me being a great 
big burgeler ! Wery well, 111 forgive them. 
Only I donl want to be a clever girl at 
their school, please.’^ 

No, my darling ; you are coming home, 
to be with mother always. Mother has 
missed her little Gwennie dreadfully, and 
she is never going to let her go away again 
to please anybody.’’ 

“ Really never ? ” asked Gwennie doubt- 
fully. 

“ Really never,” replied Mrs. Sinclair. 

And Gwennie was satisfied. 

Next day Mr. George Evans arrived, and 
was shown into Gwennie’s room. The 
little face brightened when she saw him, 
and she held out her little arms to him. 
Then they dropped on the bed again as 
she asked in a quavering, fretful voice. 
Have you seen the other princess yet ? ” 
No, Princess ; I have come to see you 
first.” 


247 


An Angel at Last 

“ Well, you can go and see her, and tell 
her ’at you’ll marry her — ’cause she wants 
to marry, really.” 

George laughed in an embarrassed way 
and tried to turn it off with a joke. “ But 
I have promised to wait till you are quite 
old and then marry you.” 

** Bit I don’t want to marry you now, 
thank you. I’m going to stay with mother, 
and never leave her to please anybody. 
And ’nother thing, when I’m quite old 
you’ll be quite older, and you won’t be 
able to run hardly ; and p’r’aps you’ll be 
like the old fisherman what sits outside 
his door all bent up in a chair all day, 
and that wouldn’t be at all ’musing for me.” 

Both Mrs. Sinclair and the young man 
laughed. 

The calculating infant ! ” he exclaimed. 

I don’t feel fiattered. Who can have told 
her that ? ” 

“ I suspect the housemaid,” said Mrs. 


That Little Limb 


248 

Sinclair. — “ Oh, come in, Miss Grey ! ” for 
the door had half-opened and Miss Grey^s 
head had appeared, to disappear again 
directly. 

At a sign from Mrs. Sinclair, the young 
doctor followed her. 

About half-an-hour afterward they both 
reappeared. 

Oh, you dear little angel ! cried Miss 
Grey as she knelt beside Gwennie’s bed 
and kissed the little white face again 
and again. How could you think of 
writing such a dreadful, dear, delightful 
letter and giving me back my prince 
again ? 

You see, Gwennie, you have done a 
great thing,^^ said George Evans, for you 
have found my golden-haired princess, 
whom I thought I had lost forever, 
and whom I should have lost but for 
you, and you have made us both very 
happy.'' 


An Angel at Last 249 

“ Was that a wery great thing to do ? 
asked Gwennie, mollified. 

The very greatest thing you could 
have done, you little angel. 

Gwennie sighed. ‘‘ Nobody ever called 
me an angel before, like they do Leslie,’^ 
she said ; and I didn't think I could be 
one with black hair." 

But you are one, and we both love 
you very much," said Miss Grey. 

“ And you are going to sit on our 
wall and be our Princess when we are 
settled there," said George. 

You can't have two princesses," objected 
Gwennie. 

“ But we are going to be King and 
Queen," said he promptly. 

Wery well, then," said Gwennie ; that 
will do till I get another prince of my 
own. Bit I don't much care 'bout one 
now, 'cause I've got mother, and she 
really wants me — she says so." 


250 


That Little Limb 


Then she intercepted a look between 
the two, and said decidedly, And now 
you can go away and talk to her, ’cause 
I’m wery sleepy. Good-bye, King and 
Queen ; be happy ever after,” she said, 
as she kissed them both, and lay back 
with her eyes closed to end the inter- 
view. 





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